The Hybrid
by Azusa Mukami
Summary: Harry Potter was the Conqueror of Voldemort, Quidditch Legend, and the boy-who-sacrificed-it-all. Azusa Mukami was a human turned vampire all for the purpose of testing the field. Fate has other plans; why not spice it up?
1. Start of a New Beginning

**Original Plot:** **In the original anime, Azusa Mukami was a fragile boy with a troublesome past. After his parents abandoned him, Azusa was found by three children- Justin, Melissa, and Christina- and accepted into their group. Unfortunately, the young boy was not just a normal member of the trio- no, he was their punching bag. After a while of them taking their frustrations out upon him, Azusa began to enjoy it, his sense of right and wrong twisting severely. In the end, the quartet went on their greatest thievery yet, but were captured and sentenced to death immediately. Azusa was the only one who remained- after getting caught by a policeman- he was taken to the orphanage meeting his future brothers: Ruki, Yuma, and Kou. Together, the four treated the youngest boy nicely (or at least better than the rest), and they escaped. The first escape resulted in failure. The orphanage caretakers shot them all down with the exception of Ruki, who was branded. As they were dying, a man by the name of Karlheinz offered them a choice: to become immortal and not have to suffer like they had previously, or to die. All four chose the former, Azusa being the most hesitant.**

 **Plot Twist:** **What if after Voldemort was vanquished, Harry Potter was betrayed by his friends, and then committed suicide by going into** _ **The Veil**_ **in which Sirius also went into; however, he was reborn as Mukami Azusa.**

 **The Start of Something New**

The so-called orphanage was disgusting. Fresh mold grew in dark corners of the building, the stench of regurgitated food and spilt blood wafted through the air, and the aura of the place was generally on key with its image. _Disgusting._ Originally he had come to strike a deal with the head matron to lend her children over to him with the guise of the trip being a better home for children in order to educate them, but the urge to burn the place down for even being this foul was strong.

It was odd.

Even if the institution was under the guise of an orphanage, too much of the crimson liquid lined the walls. In comparison to some of the stains, these spots were fresh and fairly addicting. Striding through the darkly lit hallways, he came across the first chess piece. An aristocrat no less- perfect. The boy sat in a puddle of his own blood, the life force slowly draining from his body. This changed when he agreed to the promise of immortality, his eyes shining with hunger and a desire for revenge. The man found, to his immense pleasure, that there were two more orphans on the brink of death as well. No human could resist the call of immortality. None. Most of the orphanage had been toured, but there were no caretakers around. Curious. Abruptly, he stopped. A human with black hair and pale skin with various cuts lay on the floor, trembling. Could this boy have associated with the others? Regardless, if he chose to accept the offer and "lived" through it, then they would have to get along regardless of the fact.

"What's this?" The man with white hair murmured as the boy's eyes snapped open.

The boy's eyes that were originally gray turned a startling emerald green-similar to his fifth son's eye color- before reverting to their original gray. Crimson eyes widened in disbelief, before the man started to laugh. What an interesting predicament he had found! Reincarnation, in a human no less! How amusing!

Karlheinz (as some may call him) had been traveling this terrain for centuries, but never before had such a phenomenal sight occurred. The boy's aura was pure gold and identical to his, however, it was still growing. The untapped magical prowess the child harbored was irresistible- there was no way the little one was escaping his grasp. With his blood running through his veins as well as the magic, the little one would be one of the most powerful persons on the planet. Karlheinz wasn't so sure on how he felt about that, but he knew that this child would not fall into anyone else's grasp. He would make sure of it; however, in order to do that...Azusa would need to be separated from the other half-breeds, or they would all go to the Sakamaki Manor. Either way, it would be better than switching between two _families_ to ensure all were safe.

No, the way it was now, Cordelia would kill every child that wasn't hers. That is unacceptable. He would leave the child with his supposed family and check upon them occasionally regardless of how much of a hassle it would be. A child with this much power could be the end of him if he wasn't careful. The male sighed, scooping the child into his arms. His companions were amassed, and then transported into an abandoned manor in the middle of the forest. Disposing them on to the floor, Karlheinz made sure the refrigerator was stocked with packets filled with a thick crimson liquid before disappearing.

Harry had awoken first. Groggily, the young boy sat up wiping the crust from his eyes...? He was still alive? A low chuckle filled the silence- he would forever be fate's bitch, huh. Looking around, the first thing he noticed were the three bodies laying close to his. His eyes narrowed noticing they weren't breathing. Crawling over to the light blonde one, he grabbed the other's wrist and pressed a hand to the other's wrist- no pulse. Next he went over to the back haired one with the aristocrat face (a descendant from the Black family maybe?). No pulse. The brunette was last. Harry hesitated slightly before pressing two fingers upon the boy's wrist- no pulse.

Choking back a scream, the wizard counted to ten slowly before noticing something vital- he wasn't breathing either. A normal response would enact erratic breathing, but he wasn't breathing heavily at all. In fact...

 _Calm down. It's obvious that you aren't dead, nor are you human. Okay. What creature can live without breathing air?_

 _Zombies and Inferi are out of the question since I can still think and my body isn't decomposing. Therefore...I'm a vampire. I'm a fucking vampire. Now that's rich, but I'm not thirsty like the newborns are._

A trembling finger went up to his mouth feeling a longer than average canine. Well, that confirmed things. The finger dropped. Looking over to the other three bodies, Harry couldn't help but wonder:

 _Are they vampires too?_

Judging from their dirtied bodies and clothing, Harry could assume that they had recently escaped some sort of abusive facility. An uncomfortable sensation churned in his stomach as he looked down at his new body. Various cuts- thick and thin- marred his body. Of course, his initial body was covered in bruises with stitches and large cuts, but this was a kid who had never been in a war, or was never supposed to be.

 _What do I look like now?_

And that was what he spent the next ten minutes doing- finding a bathroom to look in the mirror. Fate sure did have a way with irony. This body was pale and malnourished just like when he was with the Dursleys. He had a slightly feminine face- a rounded face, a small nose, and wide gray eyes. The black cloak wrapped around his body was opened to reveal a skinny body marred with partially healed cuts. _This must be the vampire blood,_ Harry thought, closing the cloak.

"Azusa?! Azusa?!"

 _Who is Azusa?_

Poking his head out of the doorway, Harry came face to chest with the brunette he had found lying on the floor earlier.

 _..Yuma..._

Yuma? Is that who the brunette was? Yuu-ma. Another Japanese name- joy.

"I figured you'd be here," the boy continued, his brown eyes scanning his body for any wounds (or so Harry assumed).

"I'm fine," he reassured, coughing slightly to get used to his voice. The language was definitely different than English, but somehow he was able to speak. This wasn't because of the vampire venom- was it because of his magic?

"This place is fucking huge! Kou claimed the biggest room, but he can't claim it if he doesn't find it first."  
As the boy- Yuma- continued rambling on, the wizard couldn't help but relate the brunette to Fred in a way. The Weasley twin was more amused than his twin and was usually the one planning the pranks. George was the calmer one who made sure there were no holes within the plan before initiating it. A pang of longing hit him hard. Fred had died, leaving half a soul behind. It had never been the same.

"Oi, Azusa?"

Harry's eyes snapped up in recognition as he shook away the pessimistic thoughts.

"I will help...Yuma find it," Harry spoke, somehow managing to continue speaking the foreign language. He cursed internally, not knowing how else to refer to the taller boy. He had light brown hair, hazel eyes, and an aggressive face, so maybe not his brother but who knows what this kid had gone through before he was reincarnated.

Thankfully, Yuma didn't seem to notice or care about the reference. With a quick sigh of relief, Harry nodded at the hopeful gleam in Yuma's eye. It wouldn't be a hard task either- with his magic. If vampires existed, why couldn't magic? Clearing everything from his mind, the black haired boy searched his body for a particularly warm sensation. From previous experiences, his magic had been a raging inferno ready to lash out at any moment in time, but it wasn't what he wanted.

A slight flicker was all he needed, and then Harry felt whole once more. Slowly, the magic leaked from his body in small waves with the intent of finding the biggest room in the manor. Under the guise of a child, Harry (or Azusa in this life) perused different rooms in the manor until Harry's magic located the enormous room. By flooding the room with his magic, the hybrid could estimate the area of the room therefore knowing whether or not it was bigger than others. With a grin, Azusa beckoned Yuma towards the treasure, stopping at the wooden door. Sensing no other auras, the door was pushed open to reveal a large room with a king-sized bed, two dressers, and a chest. The wooden chest sat at the foot of the bed, an oddly shaped key resting on top. Large dressers pressed against the wall on opposite sides of the bed like guardians protecting royalty.

"Now this is a room fit for a King," Yuma whistled appreciatively. "You must be my lucky charm or some bull like that."

A light pink dusted his cheeks. A lucky charm. No one had ever praised him that much,

 _Yuma's...lucky charm._

Where was this voice coming from? Could this be the body's original soul before he "moved in"? He'd have to test it out later. The pounding of feet against the wooden floor was the only warning as the door burst open to reveal a blonde haired child with a disappointed frown. For a minute, Draco Malfoy's face replaced the child's, his silver eyes full of excitement to be at Hogwarts. Then narrow silver eyes reverted back to wide heterochromatic ones, narrow face widening, and blond hair growing long and curly. Harry exhaled quietly relieving himself of some of the tension still growing in his body.

 _Kou..._

This was Kou, not Draco Malfoy who had escaped the war with his family not too long ago. No, this was just an innocent kid turned into a vampire, but why did something feel so wrong?

"This room is mine, Yuma!"

"No way in hell! I found it and claimed it, so it's mine!"

The blonde smirked. "Liar. You didn't find it."

"How the hell would you know that?"

"You just proved it."

Brown eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he let it go seeing the coldness in the blue eye. A fringe of blonde hair covered his right eye, but he swore he saw it turn a light orange before the blonde left. No matter, he would slip up one day. No one could keep secrets from a former gang member no matter how secretive. With a loud yawn, the brunette flopped on to the bed ignoring the two other boys. Kou scowled, turning to face Azusa who now had a distant look in his eye.

"Whatever," he huffed. "Ruki wants us to meet in the kitchen in an hour so don't be late."

The door slammed behind him causing the vase of tulips to fall on to the ground and shatter, at least, in Yuma's mind it was. As soon as the door slammed shut, Azusa snapped out of his daze, his hand stretching out instinctively to catch the vase; however, he was too far away. Instead, Harry's magic caught it. With little effort, the boy levitated the flower holder back on to the small table in which it had previously stood upon. Although it was a small task, the strain on the little one's body was a bit much due to the fact that Harry couldn't control his magic as well as he could back in his original dimension. He sighed- more practice with wandless magic and nonverbal spells. What fun.

His first mistake was not paying attention to his surroundings.

Brushing down a few flyaway strand of hair, Azusa turned to head out of his new brother's room only for a hand to stop him. More specifically, the tightness of its grasp. Beads of sweat dribbled down his forehead as a husky yet childish voice sounded in his ear.

"Care to explain what that was, Azusa?" Hearing his name sung slowly sent chills down his spine, although he didn't show it. "I know you're going to explain this to me." The grip on his shoulder tightened, but for some odd reason, he felt content. Nonetheless, he nodded slowly. The hand was then lifted from his shoulder as the perpetrator went to lie back upon his bed.

 _Bloody hell...what is wrong with me?_

"Magic," he stated softly, and that was that.

An hour later, the four sat down in the dining room, an unsettling silence hanging above them. While Ruki and Kou sat on the left side, Yuma and Azusa sat on the right. This particular silence, however, conveyed different things to each member. For Ruki, it was a chance to sort out all of the proceedings of what had happened in the last day or so. To Kou, the atmosphere was slightly awkward considering he liked to converse with others; however, it too gave him a chance to analyze the proceedings of yesterday, and be thankful that he had escaped the hell hole. In retrospect, years later, the blonde would question whether or not he had truly been freed from Hell. Yuma was different. With the quiet, it only made him restless. While the other two analyzed events prior to the awakening, the brunette wanted nothing more than to test his new found strength. On what? A tree- strong, sturdy, and _big_. Azusa was the only one who thought of the awakening as a curse.

 _I refuse to drink human blood,_ he thought sourly, glancing down at his fingers. Currently, a small pebble made circles upon his hand via magic, but only a little. He could only do so much without exhausting his (still massive) reserves. _There should be some animals around, or blood bags...I guess the vegetarian diet dream is finally coming true._

* * *

 **Yo,**

 **Besides my apparent sick leave for about a year, I'm back! I had a recent bout with an illness known as lung cancer for awhile now, and it's somewhat better. This idea came from my sister, and I thought, why not try it out? This fan fiction is dedicated to my sis, and my Kiksters who gave me support and a will to move on. Thanks a lot guys, and no matter what I say, or do, I will always appreciate it.**


	2. The First Point

**Original Plot:** **In the original anime, Azusa Mukami was a fragile boy with a troublesome past. After his parents abandoned him, Azusa was found by three children- Justin, Melissa, and Christina- and accepted into their group. Unfortunately, the young boy was not just a normal member of the trio- no, he was their punching bag. After a while of them taking their frustrations out upon him, Azusa began to enjoy it, his sense of right and wrong twisting severely. In the end, the quartet went on their greatest thievery yet, but were captured and sentenced to death immediately. Azusa was the only one who remained- after getting caught by a policeman- he was taken to the orphanage meeting his future brothers: Ruki, Yuma, and Kou. Together, the four treated the youngest boy nicely (or at least better than the rest), and they escaped. The first escape resulted in failure. The orphanage caretakers shot them all down with the exception of Ruki, who was branded. As they were dying, a man by the name of Karlheinz offered them a choice: to become immortal and not have to suffer like they had previously, or to die. All four chose the former, Azusa being the most hesitant.**

 **Plot Twist:** **What if after Voldemort was vanquished, Harry Potter was betrayed by his friends, and then committed suicide by going into** _ **The Veil**_ **in which Sirius also went into; however, he was reborn as Mukami Azusa.**

 **ImagInarl: I haven't read the other Subaru reincarnation-crossover yet. I've definitely seen it though, and thought to myself** _ **why not make my own reincarnation fic?**_ **Thanks for being the first one to review for me. Well, I hope I got your key points down. Brotherly fluff, and Sakamaki interaction (somewhat, but not really).**

 **Where are you getting the vegan part though? Do you mean vegetarian? By vegetarian, I mean not drinking from humans, not not eating meat, if that makes sense. I recommend the game more than the Diabolik Lover anime. It's pricey, but definitely worth it.**

 **King Hyrinmaru: Yeah. I will. In return, keep reading, okay? Thanks for being my second reviewer.**

 **Another 2,828 words exactly! Do enjoy my work and thank you for all of you that have favorited, or followed this story. I've noticed that different authors have been putting disclaimers for their fanfiction, so I will too.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Diabolik Lovers, nor do I own Harry Potter. The only things in this fanfiction that I own are my thoughts jotted down into my work.**

Harry had first realized where they would get their food when the first female arrived at the manor. It had been a year since they had been left alone. Once in a blue moon did Karlheinz visit, and for some reason, the man always gave him looks.

 _ **"I am Karlheinz," the man announced one day, abruptly appearing in the manor. Azusa sat on the ground, fiddling with his long white bandages. Ruki sat on a chair reading yet another work of literature while Kou and Yuma lounged separate couches. Looking up, the youngest Mukami felt a stir within the wards- an apparition?**_

 _ **No. In contrast, when a person apparated there was a sharp crack before their arrival; however, there were no sounds to alert him, and if the magic hadn't been disrupted, there would be no warning. Fortunately for the Mukami, their visitor was simply their savior: Karlheinz. He appeared before them in nothing more than a white lab coat covering a black suit, and black rimmed glasses. This time, the man's features were more pronounced now that his eyes were back in top shape. For once, the wizard thanked vampire's heightened senses for ridding him of the framed glass. Having to push them up, clean them, and then take them back off was a hassle. Karlheinz was a tall man, at least four heads taller than his current body. With a pointed nose, sharp chin, and narrow eyes, Harry could see that the man was just as much aristocrat as Ruki was, if not more. White hair trailed down his body like a waterfall, stopping just above his waist. The stereotypical red eyes and pale skin were also apparent as well. Harry would bet at least one thousand galleons that the man had many female admirers.**_

 _ **"Good evening," he greeted, his voice layered thick with casualty.**_

 _ **Ruki nodded, confused and cautious. "Are you Karlheinz?" the child questioned, holding up a note they had found when they awoke.**_

 _ **The white haired vampire nodded in confirmation, a light smile upon his lips. "That is me. How are you all faring?"**_

 _ **Yuma snarled. If he had been a cat, the fur would now be sticking straight up as if electrocuted. However, Ruki shot him a look making the former back down reluctantly.**_

 _ **"I am speaking for my brothers when I say we are confused on why we are still alive."**_

 _ **The man's smile grew wider, his crimson eyes sparkling with amusement. Dumbledore's eyes had that same glint when something big was going to happen, and Harry was once again at the receiving end of it.**_ **Damn.**

 _ **"Although it is true that I did not save you for good intentions, I will personally care for you as if you are my own. There is a specific project I would like to complete- no, it is nothing painful-" he paused, looking at the hardened faces of the kids before him. "- just something I would like to finish. If you would like to speak more with me, Ruki, we can do so on the terrace." Crimson eyes slid away from the eldest Mukami, glancing over the other's faces until they rested upon Harry's.**_

 _ **"That goes for you three as well."**_

From that day on, various books on subjects had been sent to their manor. Ruki (and Harry too, although he didn't show it) had been delighted at the prospect of so many books to read. (He was no Hermione, but the descriptions of some of the books had him watering at the mouth.) Unfortunately, there was one major thing about these books; they were in Japanese, and although _Azusa_ could read Japanese, Harry could not. Not even his magic could help him! So, the young Mukami had avoided the library in general...that is, until Ruki needed help in the kitchen.

Kou and Yuma had gone out shopping for clothes leaving the other two in the manor together. Harry had occupied himself with lying on the couch beneath the stairwell. That day had been sunny and _hot,_ and this body did _not_ like the heat. At all. As Harry roasted to death, Ruki started to make dinner. In contrast to the vampires in his world, they could actually cook, bake, eat, and digest real human food, and it had flavor! However, they would gain no nutrients from it. Blood was truly their only source of life, literally and figuratively.

"Azusa, instead of lying on the couch, come help me cook."

Gray eyes widened in dread. "..It's hot..." he complained, knowing full well that it wouldn't do anything other than irritate his brother. With a small groan, Harry made his way to the kitchen. Multiple bowls and silverware littered the sink, diced and sliced vegetables sat upon a cutting board on one side of the drain board, and thinly sliced meat sat on the other half. Oddly enough, the drain boards weren't dirtied with blood stains or juice. Mentally, Azusa's older brother was given a higher ranking in Harry's book. On the opposite drain board sat few items: flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Ruki was having him bake _sweets._ This wasn't going to turn out well.

"While I fry the meat and sauté the vegetables, I need you to start the batter of the vanilla cake. Can you do this?"

Harry eyed the cookbook, written in complete Japanese, lying innocently beside the flour. A small seed of doubt began to grow within, yet he nodded in confirmation anyway. The smile Ruki gave him was worth the disaster the cake had turned out to be.

Back in his dimension, Harry had learned to cook many different types of food ranging from hamburgers, to baked tilapia with a light garlic wine sauce. Out of all of his creations, baking had been his absolute worst. Aunt Petunia had managed to take over that station, throwing venomous glares that promised no compensation for his effort. The black haired boy gulped, staring down at the ingredients before him. The cookbook would be of no use, so it was pushed aside. Next was the sifter- a metal cylinder with a porous metal net used to sift through powder material and separate the hard objects, and clumps. On a whim, he decided to fill the bowl up with three cups of the sifted flour (and when he said cups, he meant cups), then two cups of sugar, a tablespoon of baking powder, a teaspoon of salt, two teaspoons of vanilla, three eggs, two cups of a thick white liquid he hoped was cream, and a bit of butter. At the end, the batter turned out to be a light peach color with only a few, small lumps here and there.

"Ruki...look at my batter!" He smiled, holding the bowl out to the taller kid. The latter took a quick glance at it.

"Good job, Azusa. You made a chocolate cake from the color of the batter."

Black hair bobbed along with his nod, and Ruki gave him another soft smile. "Then let's put it in the oven."

Come dinner time, Harry remembered Kou had been a ball of unrestrained energy, and Yuma had been the exact opposite. He stifled a laugh remembering Ginny's spontaneous and long shopping sprees. The meat was delicious; tender, juicy, and spicy sweet. Although he didn't like the spice much, he made sure to eat at least three more than his stomach could handle. Unfortunately, in eating the meat, Harry forgot about his vegetables.

Yuma didn't. Quicker than Harry could react, broccoli and asparagus filled his plate. Brown eyes stared him down from across the table, and reluctantly, he stabbed a piece of the fluffy green vegetable and placed it in his mouth. Come dinner time, his stomach was so stuffed that he felt as though he would explode with just one moment. Ruki sighed in exasperation at Azusa's dramatic motion as the youngest placed his head on the table, eyes closed in mock exhaustion.

"Azusa baked the cake for dessert. Chocolate for Kou," he exclaimed, revealing the fluffy, brown cake. The slices were distributed to the three still hungry vampires. Kou and Yuma wasted no time digging into their portions as Ruki took a small bite from his. Their faces soured immediately. Harry looked up, his eyes conveying a silent question that none wanted to respond to. Gray eyes peered into a lone blue eye, and Kou flinched.

"It isn't that your cake is bad, Azusa," he laughed awkwardly, trailing off. "It has a unique taste. Isn't that right, Yuma?"

The brunette grimaced, pushing the cake aside. "I won't lie to you, Azusa, this is horrible." Kou sighed pushing his cake away as well. Harry didn't mind; he knew this would be the reaction after completely skipping the recipe. Ruki looked skeptical, glancing at the cake in deep thought.

"I gave him a recipe to follow," he stated confidently. Excusing himself from the table for a bit before the cursed cookbook returned and was placed before him.

"Which directions did you not understand?"

 _All of them!_ Harry wanted to scream, but his pride held him back. Deciding to choose a random sentence, he explained that the egg and salt measurements were what confused him. It didn't work. In fact, now they were sending him odd looks. _Uh-oh._

"Azusa...that says one teaspoon of vanilla, not anything about eggs or salt."

Heat rose to his cheeks, and he had no doubt that he was now as red as the blood sitting not even three feet away from him.

"Read this line," Ruki ordered, not unkindly. Harry gulped, looking down at the mess of Japanese characters. There was no way, reincarnation or not, that he'd be able to read this, let alone understand it.

" _Add one egg."_

Ruki's eyes widened in shock. _"English. That would explain it._ You cannot read Japanese, can you?"

Azusa nodded.

"Ah? Why didn't you tell me before hand, Azusa?!" The latter startled as the brunette dragged him under his arm. Pale hands pushed against them, but Yuma's strength overpowered his own by margins. Comparing that strength to a dragon's may be overkill, but that was what it felt like. After what felt like an hour of struggling, the black haired child went limp.

"We're brothers now, ya here?" Yuma grinned again, releasing his youngest brother back on to the ground. "You tell us anything and everything about what's going on in that secretive mind of yours, especially when ya can't read the damn language in the country ya live in!"

"Language, Yuma," Ruki intervened.

"Fucking Japanese," he replied, brown eyes alit with amusement. Kou and Azusa muffled their laughter.

So, Harry spent at least a month working on his Japanese. Yuma started first. When the hiragana chart was placed in front of him, the only thing keeping him from leaving was the towering figure looming over his small form. For a kid, the brunette was a force to be reckoned with. With his oldest brother, Ruki, the kanji was worse. It took only three weeks fully learn hiragana, and the kanji really didn't help his situation. (At least, that's what he'd like to think.) Following hiragana, katakana would be his prize from heaven. Harry caught on to the latter like fish to water, since most words were English variations anyway. Kou was the one who actually put the three characters into play. Donned with a wallet, sunglasses, and a small map, the two went out into the city to test Azusa's new understanding of Japanese.

Months of kanji could not have prepared the black haired child for what was to come. The city that was closest to their manor was not as crowded as London, England, but it was still packed! Sunday was the time where sales were low, and quantity plentiful. In response, many people being teenagers to elders would flock and buy out the merchants, who, in turn, would give them all they had for the right price. Harry couldn't remember how long it had been since he had last been out of the house. The outside world was full of noise, bright lights, and enticing aroma. He loved it. What he didn't love were the myriad of shops labeled with _kanji that only resembled some of the characters he had learned!_ Another part of the trip made him realize something about his second oldest brother- Kou was a sadist. For once, the blonde kept his mouth shut except to have told him which store he'd like to see.

"Hmm, let's go to Akafuku! They have a cool looking red jacket that I want to buy!"

Azusa blinked, nonplussed. Aka meant red, and fuku meant clothes. Red clothes. Who would name their store red clothes? Eventually, they found it lying in the middle of an ice cream store, and a video game shop. As Kou went inside to shop (for more than a red jacket because Azusa knew his brother well), the tantalizing scent of the confectionary sweet called to him.

The ice cream shop wasn't as full as thought. In the corner of the room sat a couple sharing their ice cream sundae seemingly in private. Closer to the door and near the window sat two redheads and a purplenette. Azusa spared the latter a glance because of the unusual hair color, but shrugged it off. _Harry_ had seen stranger.

"Strawberry cone-" _Kou might want something. Yuma and Ruki too._ "-strawberry sundae, marshmallow sundae, and French vanilla sundae...please. The latter three...must be capped." Internally, Azusa beamed. His diction had gotten better somewhat.

The lady behind the counter smiled at him, letting him have a fifty percent discount because of his cuteness. Azusa just blinked, handing her the money. Who was he to turn down such a kind offer? Once the sundaes were boxed and safe in Azusa's arm, he took his cone and headed outside. Unfortunately, while turning, he didn't notice the purplenette behind him, and bumped right into him.

Many things happened at once in the blink of an eye.

First, the halfway eaten ice cream with cookie crumbles fell out of the kid's pale hands. The other made no move to catch it, dull purple eyes filling with tears as they watched it fall and splatter on to the ground with a soft _thunk_. Presumably, the child would cry and throw a master temper tantrum until his friends (the red heads still in the corner) bought him another one. That's what would have went down had Azusa been a muggle. However, he was not.

Azusa startled, the cone in his hands also dropping from his grasp. As a reflexive instinct, the Mukami held out his hand stopping the falling confectionary in place. Twirling his finger, the two reverted back into their forms before the crash, falling back into their containers before going back to their owners. Hesitantly, the black haired boy licked his ice cream experimentally. It was still delicious.

"Sorry..." he apologized, making his way around the purplenette and out of the store.

* * *

"What the hell are you standing there for? Yours truly has other places to be besides watching you gorge on sweets." Although his tone sounded angry, green eyes showed indifference.

"Ara~ let Kanato enjoy his ice cream, Ayato. Reiji won't mind if we are a bit late."

"Who cares about that tableware otaku? I want that leather jacket before the store runs out."

Ayato scowled, ranting on about how the jacket was a limited store item, and the teen next to him just sighed. As the former ranted on, the other redhead glanced at the now complacent purplenette. Being on the opposite side of the table, he had seen everything from the crash, to the floating ice cream. If he had blinked, there would have been nothing amiss, but the black haired boy had used _magic_ , something only Karlheinz had been able to use. There was a small chance that they would meet again, but he knew better. That boy had smelt like a vampire, and as such, the small, yet luxurious town that they lived in only had one school _that man_ would enroll them into was Ryoutei Academy. When that time came, he would find out who the boy was because Laito was bored, and nobody escapes his eye.

"He almost destroyed my ice cream," the purplenette stated calmly. However, the tightness of his hold on the bowl of ice cream contradicted his façade. "I will not forgive him. No, not ever."

Ayato rolled his eyes. "Yours Truly couldn't care less, but he did smell familiar..."

By this time, Laito had also rose from his chair to join his brothers. "Like a certain man we know, hm? It looks like _he_ has been busy."

* * *

"Ah? Did you get any for me?"

Six bags in hand, Kou walked out of the store with a smile upon his face. Azusa nodded, rummaging through the box and pulling out the strawberry sundae. Unfortunately, the sundae didn't have a straw not that it stopped him from eating some of it.

"Ne, let me some of yours. I can't eat mine yet~"

"No."

"Stingy~" Azusa felt something wet travel up his cheek, a chill raking up his spine. He whipped around to find his brother munching on ice cream. It would have been fine if the ice cream was _his._

"Don't...do that."

"Then give me your ice cream next time."

In retaliation, Azusa sent a small stinging hex towards the blonde, making him drop some of the clothes and his ice cream. If they weren't vampires, Azusa would be worried that Kou had gotten whiplash with how fast his head turned. Heterochromatic eyes stared into gray, but Azusa just stared back, unperturbed. After about a minute of staring, Kou reluctantly looked away muttering about ghosts. Together, the two walked back home.


	3. Presents, Secrets, and Revelations

**ImagInarI: Woah. Why are you not a beta-reader yet? I am completely aware that the licking of Azusa's cheek is not directly stated. I'll work on being a bit more fluent with my writing. As for Harry and Japanese, the struggle is real. He can write and speak because of Azusa's previous knowledge, but reading is a stretch because Azusa could not do so either (to a degree).**

 **Fluff is not my strong point. Really, it isn't. The previous chapter and this one will be the fluffiest chapters that I will write, so I hope it is to your liking. Most of your comments have been incorporated, so thank you for the contributions. Harry's new life will be expanded upon in later chapters. I'm hoping to have chapter eight be the big break down, but we'll see what happens.**

 **Are you reading my mind? Blood pops are just what I had planned for chapter six. Hint: Valentine's Day. On another note, I've already got the next two chapters typed up. The excitement is practically radiating off of me. Enjoy this chapter, Triple I.**

 **King Hyrinmaru: Thanks a bunch. Karlheinz does know something is different about Azusa, but he has yet to figure out about reincarnation. I think that's how it will stay for awhile, too.**

 **FANactic Writer: I will, thank you. I like your username as well, so please continue reading.**

 **Another day, another chapter. I admit, the ending is a bit awkward, but it ties in with the next chapter real well. Thank you for all of the people who continued to read this fanfic, and I hope you guys find it somewhat entertaining. With that, I give you chapter three of The Hybrid.**

 **Original Plot: In the original anime, Azusa Mukami was a fragile boy with a troublesome past. After his parents abandoned him, Azusa was found by three children** — **Justin, Melissa, and Christina** — **and accepted into their group. Unfortunately, the young boy was not just a normal member of the trio- no, he was their punching bag. After a while of them taking their frustrations out upon him, Azusa began to enjoy it, his sense of right and wrong twisting severely. In the end, the quartet went on their greatest thievery yet, but were captured and sentenced to death immediately. Azusa was the only one who remained. After getting caught by a policeman, he was taken to the orphanage meeting his future brothers: Ruki, Yuma, and Kou. Together, the four treated the youngest boy nicely (or at least better than the rest), and they escaped. The first escape resulted in failure. The orphanage caretakers shot them all down with the exception of Ruki, who was branded. As they were dying, a man by the name of Karlheinz offered them a choice: to become immortal and not have to suffer like they had previously, or to die. All four chose the former, Azusa being the most hesitant.**

 **Plot Twist:** **What if after Voldemort was vanquished, Harry Potter was betrayed by his friends, and then committed suicide by going into** _ **The Veil**_ **in which Sirius also went into; however, he was reborn as Mukami Azusa.**

 **Presents, Secrets, and Revelations**

 _Magic is not just simple party tricks done to entertain people, nor is it a completely paranormal force. Magic is life; nature's magic influences change within the animals and environment. When an ecosystem reaches carrying capacity, the magic strains, therefore triggering natural disasters to begin. The birth of a new individual(s) is the result of magic calculating the death of each being._

 _In order to understand magic. . ._

Impatient, Harry flipped through the bookwith barely concealed excitement. In a week it would be Kou's birthday, and that was when he'd reveal his secret (that only Yuuma and Karlheinz knew about). It hadn't been a struggle to figure out what the blonde liked; it was more along the lines of what he didn't _already have_. Ever since a contractor had heard Kou's voice, Harry had seen even less of the boy than before. The only thing keeping that stingy manager from hogging Kou all for himself were the legal papers binding them to Karlheinz. He really didn't want to know what would happen when the man discovered said father figure to be absent the majority of the time.

With the money made from his new job, Kou had bought a ton of clothes from different stores, and souvenirs and foods from the major cities. He would be envious if not for the fact that he had visited the cities and many others within his past life. The main question had been what to get him, and the answer was so blatantly obvious- something from the magical world. Runes weren't his forte, nor were astrology and astronomy. Transfiguration is something that would be impressive, but Kou would probably shrug it off after a month as a normal object. There had to be something that would be memorable. _Memorable._ Memories! What other way to preserve a memory but to capture it? In this world, Kou had never seen moving pictures!

After asking (read- pleading because the man never gave without receiving) Karlheinz for more books on magic and animation, he had secluded himself in his room to read. Not even Ruki could distract him from the books. After comparing the muggle aspect of animation to charms, a serious migraine threatened to evolve from the light pounding within his head.

 _...meditation is the key to unlocking said source. Clear your minds of everything, keep still, and try to find the coiled bundle of energy within._

He closed the book. His magic was already thriving within him, but the problem were his still small reserves, Sure it expanded every so often, but Harry wanted his regular large reserves back! Nonverbal spells and wandless magic were handy _and_ easy to use with it!

" _ **Harry," a soft voice commented from the opposite couch in the common room. "Don't stress yourself. Take a deep breath and try again."**_

 _ **A smile formed upon his face despite the sweat cascading down from his forehead. "Yeah, 'Mione, I know."**_

The books were all shoved under the bed, and the black haired teen in pain clutched his head, the only relief being the hard, cold stone floor. Yes, sleep sounded like a good idea...

 _ **Finally, after all seven years of living in fear and agony, watching the people he had loved drop like flies, he had done it. The only thing that had remained of the Dark Lord were his followers, and a black cloak that had now floated away with the wind. Brilliant colors of red, green, and purple filled the air as the two men of prophecy dueled to determine the fate of the entire world. Both were skilled and intelligent; however, one man's insanity had overthrown his sense, and the other relied purely on what he was taught and luck. In the end, only one could reign supreme. Cries of outrage and happiness filled the air; Ginny and Hermione hexed a few Death Eaters into oblivion, Draco had offed Fenrir Greyback, and Ron... the youngest male Weasley was lying on the ground, blue eyes staring lifelessly at the sky.**_

 _ **Suddenly, all of his allies started to die.**_

" _ **Harry-!" Hermione's skin turned as gray as Voldemort's ashes, the wind carrying her off upon broad wings.**_

" _ **Potter, bloody-!" Draco started to scream, but was struck from behind by a sickening green curse before he could finish.**_

" _ **No, Harry-!" The teen began to shake, tears rapidly streaming down his face.**_ **Please, no. Anyone but Ginny.**

 _ **It was too late; however, as the youngest Weasley burned to ashes, she turned to give him a vile glare. "Why did you leave me, Harry?"**_

Harry was horrified, when he awoke sometime in the early evening, to find dry tear marks on his cheeks. Looking in the mirror, his eyes were red and puffy, and his skin even paler than normal. Although they weren't evident, dark circles hung below his red rimmed eyes. Amazingly enough, his hair was the only thing that remained somewhat intact.

Funny. Now he truly did look like a stereotypical vampire from the novels.

Regaining his sense of balance, the vampire went to the bathroom to erase the evidence of unrest. Donning a light blue sweater and black sweatpants, Harry made his way down the stairs to find something to eat. The stash was all good and fine, but somebody would question how he was still alive without food.

It was just his luck to have all of his brothers within the same place, too. _Fantastic._ He fought back an urge to wince as all conversation came to a halt as he entered the room. Their eyes followed him from the stairway to the kitchen and halfway back to the stairway before someone stopped him. Gray eyes looked up into a lone blue eye, the emotional output barricaded by thick walls. Kou seemed to understand, if not empathize with him, but that didn't mean they would let isolation devour his life. No, instead, the blonde dragged him over to the couch and sat down patting the seat next to him. Harry looked at the spot with tired eyes, barely giving it any thought. His body slumped on to the warm, cushy couch and rested upon Kou's shoulder. Within minutes, he was dead to the world.

* * *

 _Snap_

"You are so cute, Azusa~"

 _Snap_

 _Snap_

"Shh, you'll wake him."

"The only thing that'll wake him is that damn camera. What's with that damn flash?" Camera..?

"Don't blame me, I don't know how to really use this thing yet~" Harry could definitely hear the pout in that statement.

"Reading the manual can be effective, Kou."

"I know, Ruki," Kou huffed.

"Looks like Sleepy Beauty's up," Yuuma remarked, watching as the youngest member of their group opened his eyes. A new, black camera was grasped protectively within the blonde's pale hands, and Harry wanted to kill him; however, the small object sparked an idea. Unfortunately, Kou took the long glance at the camera to mean something else entirely.

"Do you want to see them?~" He questioned with a grin. Yuuma and Ruki both sensed something off with that grin and opted to retreat. Harry did not have that option.  
"You're not as light as you look- good to know you're eating," the overly annoying, yet happy vampire commented while walking towards his room. Pushing the door open, the first thing he saw were the empty, blue walls. It was a bit surprising considering his eccentric attitude, but Harry had no idea what went through his head most of the time. The black haired boy landed with a soft thump upon the bed, Kou inching in right beside him with the camera in hand.

"Ruki took this one-" he began, holding the memory filming device between them, "your grip was really strong. I was your personal teddy bear; hm~ look at that expression! Such a cute little baby, Azusa, my little brother~"

Humiliated, said little brother tried to drown out the blonde's voice to no avail.

"Here you were smiling, muttering something about a Ginny." Kou gave him an indecipherable look before moving on. "So, in return for me being your teddy bear..."

"No more shopping," Harry stated firmly.

"I went two days ago, but I bought you a few presents~"

Ruki and Yuuma had been right in leaving; maybe if he had left earlier his life and dignity would have been saved. Now, donned in a completely black outfit, the young boy made a mental note never to trust mischievous blondes with heterochromatic eyes no matter how innocent. A cold breeze tickled his barely covered legs, lifting the short skirt much to Harry's chagrin. The long sleeve, black jacket hid scarred and thin arms, and the white blouse did nothing other than embarrass him more. Kou on the other hand was ecstatic, snapping pictures of the youngest Mukami eagerly.

Harry twitched- one more minute of wearing this damn thing and he was going to burn it. Thankfully, Kou seemed to have finished with his maniac shots.

When the blonde went into a sulk for the next week due to the disappearance of a particular black camera, Harry felt no guilt and happily deleted the disgusting pictures.

* * *

Kou's birthday was a ball. Ruki made a large chocolate cake with white icing, and Yuuma barbecued a lot of meat. He had never tasted a hamburger as beautifully seasoned and grilled as Yuuma's. In consequence, Harry had to eat way more than intended and excused himself (reluctantly) from the ice cream. Like a few weeks before, Kou had taken out his camera and had guilt-tripped them into another crossdressing photoshoot under the guise of it being a day to remember.

That accursed black camera did get put to use documenting the events of the party though. Harry knew he shouldn't have looked at the puppy-dog eyes that Kou directed at him. He swore they were magic and had the effects of the Imperius Curse. How else would you explain him posing for a picture while wearing a cat ear headband and furry cat paw gloves? Both of which were of course provided by a certain blond demon-in-disguise (who, incidentally, had a set for everyone else as well. Harry was thankful that he didn't have to suffer alone). In one particular shot, Kou had an arm wrapped around Harry's shoulders. They were both smiling, but Harry's lips were twitching as he eyed the bottle across from him. (Just one toss, then maybe he could make a break for it.) Harry conceded to Kou's wishes for the most part (like when he asked to be fed) since it was his special day, but he drew the line when the birthday boy pulled out the maid outfit. Sadly, unlike the photos of him crossdressing, he was denied the right to destroy the evidence of him cosplaying. It was due to him being surprisingly overruled by a three to one vote. Yuuma would have backed him up if the teen hadn't been busy looking through catalogues! He glanced at said traitor with a hurt and betrayed pout making Kou coo at his cuteness. Yuuma only smirked, brown eyes alit with amusement. Though the crossdressing was degrading, Harry would never forget this day. They had commemorated a special family bonding moment, and he wasn't gonna ruin it by being a spoilsport. Eventually, they all retired to the living room.

Now was the time.

Ruki gave Kou the first gift with a small smile upon his face. Inside was a sewing kit, candy, and a book about fashion written and autographed by a famous designer. Harry felt as though the one-hundred-watt smile would burn a hole within the house if they weren't careful. Yuuma gave him rolls of beautiful fabric with tools such as scissors and stencils. Harry looked down at the plain blue bag containing his gift for the blonde. Inside was a photobook consisting of moving pictures, and a charmed bracelet—things that he now felt were quite meager in comparison to what the others had given.

"Pass~" The blonde hummed, snatching the bag from clammy hands. He jingled it a bit noticing its light weight. "Not very heavy..."

Yuuma elbowed him in the stomach, to the latter's annoyance.

"..."

Harry fidgeted uncomfortably, gray eyes constantly glancing around the room. Kou, wide eyes and all, stared at the moving photos with something akin to awe and surprise. The brunette beside him raised an eyebrow, glanced at the pictures, and gave the wizard a small smirk. Ruki, bemused, headed over to the trio.

"... Azusa, do you have something to say to us?"

 _Azusa_ opened his hand, a small, red tulip manifesting in his hand. "I... can do magic. Don't hate me..."

There was a brief silence, and the guilt of having kept it a secret for some odd years finally set in- Harry kept hope. _Azusa_ kept hope, even when Ruki went upstairs into his room, and Kou shut down, looking at the photobook with dull eyes. Even Yuuma, who he had thought supported him through thick and thin, looked away. Were they upset because he had a power that they did not? No, it was the complete lack of faith on his part, and he couldn't have felt any worse. A lone tear trailed down the scarred cheek, and Azusa was gone.

* * *

 _Azusa... the one who was turned the last out of all of us, the weakest one out of all of us has magic. Impossible,_ Ruki thought, slumping into a chair beside his window. The sunrise was beautiful; shades of dark pink and orange accenting the gleaming river and dew upon the plants.

 _I am not the true child of Karlheinz; I cannot surpass his true sons even without some having magic._

The birds began to chirp, embracing the sun's light with merry song.

Heightened sight, smelling, and hearing; pale skin, fangs, the need to consume blood, accelerated-healing abilities, increased speed and strength. Those are the qualities that make one a vampire—but not truly his son.

Bright and hot gas balls started to fade from sight, the sun illuminating the now light blue sky.

 _However, Azusa is my brother. I have Karlheinz's blood within me, as do my brothers: Kou, Yuuma... It does not matter what traits we have inherited. Simple qualms like this will not cause us to separate._

* * *

Ruki did not make breakfast that morning, but Harry did not expect him to. Nobody, judging from the silence, had exited their rooms. Another corporal rose made its way into a vase beside the window. He wasn't hungry anyway...

" _ **I love you, Harry," the red haired vixen giggled, placing another kiss on to his cheek.**_

" _ **I love you too, Ginny," he murmured, nuzzling into her neck. His nose crinkled at the scent of the strong cologne. Did he really wear that much?**_

 _ **Said woman giggled, patting down her skirt, and sashayed out the door. It had been her birthday that day. He and his friends were planning a big surprise party, but in order to do so, he would need to stall her. What better way to stall than to surprise her with lunch?**_

 _ **His eyes drooped, hands automatically signing his signature on each line until another stopped him.**_

" _ **Merlin forbid, Potter that could have been a treaty to let all prisoners loose from Azkaban."**_

 _ **Standing in all of his six-foot glory stood Malfoy, a smug smirk upon his face. "You can thank me later."**_

" _ **Whatcha want, Draco?" He sighed, ruffling his already messy, brown hair.**_

" _ **Many things," he drawled, taking the signed papers with a grunt, "Kingsley gave you the rest of the day off, lucky bastard. I expect there to be extra fire whiskey for me."**_

 _ **The two grinned at each other, his tired mood completely discarded. "I owe you one, Draco!"**_

 _ **Without a backward glance, the Potter Heir rushed out of his cubicle and into the floo station. After a quick shower, a**_ **homemade** _ **lunch, and a quick check in the mirror, he was off once again. Waving to the old receptionist, he stepped into the elevator and made his way up to the top floor.**_

" _ **F-Faster-!~"**_

 _ **He blinked. Was this the wrong floor?**_

" _ **Moan for me, Weasley, show me how much**_ **better** _ **I am than that fucking Gryffindor."**_

 _ **No.**_

 _ **No, no, no, no- not his Ginny.**_

" _ **B-Blai-"**_

" _ **That's it, baby, scream my name!"  
The door opened just in time to find his sweet, darling wife climax with a certain Blaise Zabini thrusting into her. **_

" _ **Oh, don't mind me," the**_ **intruder** _ **greeted nonchalantly, watching the two come off of their high. He couldn't find it in himself to laugh, let alone cry as chocolate brown eyes snapped open.**_

" _ **I just came to drop something off," he continued, heading out of the room.**_

" _ **Harry, wait-! It isn't what it looks-" The door slammed shut behind him.**_

 _ **Malfoy found him locked inside of his room, remnants of what used to be their bedroom burned or destroyed. He sighed, dragging the broken man up and into the shower.**_

" _ **Lucky you didn't marry," the blonde muttered, holding out a pair of clothes.**_

" _ **Yeah..." Harry responded, slowly putting them on.**_

" _ **You owe me a drink," they drawled.**_

" _ **I know."**_

" _ **I'm going to get it."**_

" _ **Okay..."**_

" _ **With you."**_

" _ **I don't want to..."**_

" _ **Tough shit."**_

 _ **So they went.**_

" _ **Ginny, we had all of this planned out!"**_

" _ **Ron, quiet! Screaming won't solve anything," a familiar voice soothed, but the undertone was as kind as Voldemort. "We should have expected this. We can't care for him if he won't let us. Ginny, you can't expect to sleep around and not get caught."**_

" _ **Tch," Ron snorted, crossing his arms, "He's dangerous. The sooner we rid of him, the less of a dark lord we'll have."**_

 _ **Draco sneered, "Who needs enemies with friends like those?" Harry laughed.**_

When he awoke, there was something firmly gripping his right hand. Traveling up the appendage, his eyes met a head of black hair, and a calm face. Ruki- his oldest brother and the last person he expected to stay by his side despite the lack of trust on his part- sat in the chair beside the bed. There should have been anger, betrayal, disgust- something to show that the older male was mad or disappointed with him, but instead, Ruki's darker gray eyes conveyed concern and worry. Harry's eyes watered despite his wishes, and he tightened his hold on the hand grasping his own.

"I am sorry... for ruining the party," he sniffled, "I am... sorry for... not trusting... my brothers. Sorry, Ruki, for... keeping this... a secret."

"I accept your apology, Azusa," Ruki replied, brushing the fallen tears from the boy's face. "But I am not the one you should be apologizing to."


	4. Ryoutei Academy

**Yo! How are you guys? Apparently, this fanfic has been placed into a community. It's the first one in my arsenal to have done so, and the community itself seems pretty unique. If you can't tell, I am hella excited. If people bother to read this brief author's note, I would like to inform that after three chapters of fluff and angst, Harry/Azusa finally meet (some of) the Sakamaki. To be quite honest, Shuu will probably be one of the most difficult characters to write, but I know what to do with him. Tell me what you think of their encounter, and what you would like to see more of, yeah?**

 **Thanks to all of the visitors who have stayed or recently joined this fanfic. I didn't expect to get this far. **

**Also, a huge thanks to ImagInarI who has accepted my plead to be my beta reader! Without her help, I'd probably keep posting duds.**

 **animeluver1827: Thanks~ Potential, huh. I hope to live up to your expectations.**

 **ImagInarI: I'm seriously going to miss those long reviews. Yaoi? I have no idea if I'm going to pursue that route, but I can imply it until I decide. More fluff with Ruki and Yuuma. I'll see what I can do.**

 **FANatic Writer: Is Azusa what people refer to as a 'Cinnamon Roll'? I've heard that phrase being used a lot, but I don't understand. Keep with me, alright? Things are about to get heavy.**

 **Original Plot: In the original anime, Azusa Mukami was a fragile boy with a troublesome past. After his parents abandoned him, Azusa was found by three children** — **Justin, Melissa, and Christina** — **and accepted into their group. Unfortunately, the young boy was not just a normal member of the trio- no, he was their punching bag. After a while of them taking their frustrations out upon him, Azusa began to enjoy it, his sense of right and wrong twisting severely. In the end, the quartet went on their greatest thievery yet, but were captured and sentenced to death immediately. Azusa was the only one who remained. After getting caught by a policeman, he was taken to the orphanage meeting his future brothers: Ruki, Yuma, and Kou. Together, the four treated the youngest boy nicely (or at least better than the rest), and they escaped. The first escape resulted in failure. The orphanage caretakers shot them all down with the exception of Ruki, who was branded. As they were dying, a man by the name of Karlheinz offered them a choice: to become immortal and not have to suffer like they had previously, or to die. All four chose the former, Azusa being the most hesitant.**

 **Plot Twist:** **What if after Voldemort was vanquished, Harry Potter was betrayed by his friends, and then committed suicide by going into** _ **The Veil**_ **in which Sirius also went into; however, he was reborn as Mukami Azusa.**

* * *

The uniform was uncomfortable.

The bow constricting.

The fabric soft and ticklish.

The sleeves too long.

The pants had a weird checker pattern, fading out of color towards the bottom.

He could go on, but the main problem were his scars. For some reason whenever his left arm was revealed, three long cuts stood out the most. There was some emotional attachment to it, and his body would absolutely _throb_ whenever it was covered. Harry didn't know what _Azusa_ had done before the orphanage, but the past always found a way to find him whether he liked it or not.

"Azusa! We're going to be late!"

Hogwarts had always a sanctuary before she was raided by Voldemort and his cronies. Neville, Luna, and even Malfoy had always awaited him in his eighth year, with Ron and Ginny trailing behind. Minerva had become the next headmistress, Snape's ghost still portrayed his usual sullen self, and Filch and his cat had been fired (to both his and most of his dorm's immense pleasure). It wasn't time to dwell on that now, though.

"Azusa!"

They were not going to be late. Ruki liked to leave an hour beforehand to stroll through the library. Yuuma didn't care—good seats in the back were the only things he cared about. Kou... the blonde's motives were questionable, but he could assume that the crowd of fangirls were a lot smaller in the early evening than at night. He sighed, tucking a stray piece of fabric within his bandage wrappings, and descended the stairs.

"It took you long enough," Kou huffed, adjusting his keychain. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you didn't want to go to the academy."

Harry remained blank faced. Yuuma scoffed, subtly knocking the blonde out of the doorway. "Lay off, Kou, it's his first day."

"It's mine, too," he pouted, following after the duo. "And I do not want to be caught up in the crowd."

"You kidding? Your damn fangirls scream like a band of fucking banshees."

"Language, Yuuma." Ruki looked up from his book, shooting the brunette a pointed look.

"Fucking Japanese."

Harry stifled a laugh—something his dirty-mouthed brother appreciated—to Ruki's displeasure and amusement.

The Academy was a shining, golden beacon. Literally. The place seemed to be made out of gold, the moonlight illuminating the elegant color in a beautiful way. Similar to their manor, the academy had a large u-shaped driveway with a metal gate blocking the entrance. Large trees clustered together, surrounding the enormous building with large arms. On the left of the building, tulips of varying colors lined the school, making it even more beautiful. Harry couldn't compare it to Hogwarts, but he could honestly say this was the second most beautiful structure he had ever seen.

Harry quickly found out that though the building was gorgeous inside and out, the people who attended it were not. The Mukami were not the only rich family in the area—or vampires for that matter. There were bound to be other wealthy teens in the school, but the attitude of the males were all like the Malfoys (with the exception of Draco who had mellowed out during the war): snobby, self-centered, and pompous. It made him cringe. The females, too, were something else. As soon as he and his brothers entered, they immediately started to whisper. All it took was one daring, brave soul to ask for their names before the rest of the horde came running.

Surprisingly enough, they left him alone. Bright eyes took one glance at his bandaged arms and neck and instantly shied away. Harry didn't mind—it was a tremendous relief to not have fans. No more stalkers, autograph signing, food poisoning—the thought brought a small smile to his face.

That, was the end. There had been one female of the hoard left debating whether or not to speak with him. However, after seeing his smile, it seemed to trigger some sort of maternal instinct causing her to coo.

"I am Melissa," she greeted, blue eyes glancing at him with happiness. "Akakawa, Melissa with the river kanji. You are?"

He hesitated, glancing over at the crowd still surrounding his brothers. "Azusa..."

Her smile grew bigger. "Nice to meet you, Azusa~ Ne, I bet you don't have a guide. I'll be your guide, Azusa-kun~"

 _Oh no._ A girl version of Kou—personality wise. If he wasn't mistaken, -kun was meant for a person close to them... Right? It didn't seem to matter, so Harry brushed it off as well.

"This is the cafeteria where you can buy lunch, but no one really does. Ne, want to hear something interesting?"

He blinked, and the woman continued, the grasp on his arm tightening considerably.

"There used to be a gang of the richest people in the academy. They always sat at the table in the middle, and everyone was scared to get in their way. One day though, we had new transfers. Six, hot brothers!"

Harry blanched at the blush on her face.

"Personally, I like Kanato the best! He is cute like you, Azusa~ Anyway, one of the red heads—cannot remember which—and Subaru—the youngest—took on the gang head first and _won_. You had to be there, Azusa, it was so scary! Then, the rest of his brothers literally appeared out of _nowhere_ , stepping over their bodies and claimed their seats. I heard that the gang tried to blacklist the Sakamaki in the business world and have them shunned so that no one would associate with them, but it didn't work since their father is one of the most influential men in Japan."

Sa-ka-ma-ki... Why did that name sound so familiar?

"Who... is their father?"

"Sakamaki, Tougo. The famous politician."

Nope. Never heard of them. "Melissa-senpai..." The name sounded weird upon his tongue. That would take getting used to. "Sakamaki brothers... who are they?"

If possible, her eyes seemed to sparkle even more. "There are six of them: Shuu, Reiji, Ayato, Kanato, Subaru, and one more... Shuu has blonde hair and sky blue eyes. He likes to sleep on the floor a lot, so make sure you don't trip over him. The next one is Reiji, a real scholar. He gets the highest grade out of the third year class. He'd have the highest grades if it weren't for some of the others. He had this weird shade of purple-black hair, but it looks really good on him! Then there are the triplets, but I could never guess who is the oldest. Kanato, as I've said before, is my favorite. Light purple hair and eyes, pale skin, and he holds a teddy bear!~ It's hard to get him to smile, but sweets always seem to brighten his mood."

By this time, they had climbed the stairs on to the third floor and were heading toward his home room. He regretted separating from Yuuma- at least his hearing would still be intact.

"Ayato has red, shoulder length hair and mesmerizing green eyes. He refers to himself as Ore-sama, but is so cute when he isn't arrogant. The last one is Subaru. You should totally stay away from him. I've heard he was a member of a gang, too! Anyway, he has white hair and either pink or red eyes. I always look away because his gaze his so piercing. It's like he's looking into my soul!"

Melissa shivered, stepping into a classroom. "This is your homeroom. Basically, if there are ever any evacuations or important things, then you'll be with these people. Have fun, Azusa-kun~"

Then, she left.

Looking around the room, Harry saw his classmates chatting with each other in their own respective cliques. Some were typing out messages on their mobile with agile fingers. Although—as Harry found out earlier within the year—only the rich had access to advanced technology like computers and tablets. Kids and adults had mobile devices, something which he had never possessed in his previous life. When Ruki had presented them each a cell phone a bit after Kou's birthday, he had wasted no time gathering contact information and personalizing it. Unfortunately, he had only three contacts (four if Karlheinz was included, but his number changed every week or so). One particular event that always had him cringe were Kou's spontaneous messages. For instance, about a week after receiving said mobile, Azusa had received a video of a sleeping cat with the caption **it reminded me of you ;)**. It was a shame he couldn't block them.

Mostly everybody sat in the middle row, and Harry couldn't blame them. The Professor could see you easily in the front row, and one could be considered a teacher's pet (which wasn't a good thing for the scrawny). The back was just where either the lone wolves, or the gossipers liked to hang out, but that didn't seem to be the case here. Only three people sat in the back: two redheads, and a purplenette. If memory served him right... two of them were the Sakamaki that Melissa had spoken of earlier.

Redhead number one wore a smug smirk upon his face. The white dress shirt he wore underneath his uniform coat was unbuttoned halfway revealing pale skin in a narrow v-shaped gap from the neck down. His red tie wrapped around his neck and visibly trailed down what could be seen of his chest like a long tongue. The right leg of his pants was rolled up to his knee.

If he was the wannabe bad boy, then the second redhead was a player. Though the latter's dress shirt was buttoned and his black tie was in its proper place around his shirt collar, any semblance of professionalism was ruined by the red jacket with a fur-lined hood that he wore over it and beneath his uniform. The fedora with a pink ribbon bow wrapped around its brim also didn't help his case. Both redheads had the same green eyes, although the one wearing a fedora's eyes were more slanted upward.

The purplenette was somebody that he had seen before, but Harry couldn't remember where. His attire was what you'd expect from a young nobleman's son. Under his school jacket was a red vest and a white undershirt with a frilly shirt collar. He may have looked like a child, but his outfit screamed anything but.

As if sensing his presence, each one turned to stare at him, and Harry couldn't help but gulp. There was something _off_ about them, and their expressions spoke of dark secrets. He didn't want to know. He _really_ didn't want to know.

* * *

 _Finally._

A wide smirk formed across his face watching as Ayato was rejected yet again. He chuckled, winking at the tomato-colored girl as she left the room. When was his brother ever going to learn that with seducing females, you had to cherish them from the get go?

"Shut up, Laito," Ayato grumbled, taking his seat between him and Kanato. "Yours Truly will get the next one."

"Oh? So dedicated, Ayato. As your older brother, let me show you how to successfully woo a woman."

His brother snorted, resting his cheek upon his hand. "If Ore-sama couldn't do it, what makes you think you can?"

"Teddy thinks that both of you are stupid," Kanato commented, propping his chin upon the large brown bear's head. "He is amused at Ayato's failure."

The red head twitched, but didn't rise to the occasion. "Yeah? Your damn bear can go fuck himself."

"And this is why ladies don't go for you, Ayato~"

"Like they would go for you."

"Watch me, younger brothers~"

His victim had been reading a book before he appeared beside her, picking up an eraser. The brunette blushed, shaking her head when asked if she was the owner of said book. He laughed, making sure it was light and short before sliding into the seat next to her. The woman's name was Miranda, and she loved to sky dive and eat pickles, but could not cook. Not like he needed any of this information, but it kept handy for foreplay. In less than ten minutes, the fedora wearing redhead was walking back toward his brothers, a slip of paper held in between his pointer and middle finger.

To say that he wasn't amused when Ayato completely blew his top would be a lie. Whatever the matter, Laito now had his breakfast for Friday. Kanato also seemed to be having a good time, munching on cookies some random woman had given to him.

Sitting back down, Laito subjected himself to another one of Ayato's rants until _he_ came in. Pale skin marred with cuts, wide gray eyes, thin body, and ruffled black hair. He licked his lips, something hot brushing against his skin. Along with the ice cream incident (in which Kanato had not yet gotten over), the boy had felt just like _him_ whenever punishing one of his brothers (or himself, seldom as it may be). Laito wanted that power. He wanted it for himself to toy with; to use; to _exploit_.

"What's with that creepy look on your face?" Ayato questioned, finally noticing the perverse grin on his brother's face. Following his line of sight, he caught sight of the frail looking male that couldn't have been older than fifteen. The thing that really was off was his scent- it smelt just like _him_.

"What the hell?" He whispered, attracting Kanato's attention. The moment purple eyes landed on the teen, they narrowed into slits.

"I do not like him," Kanato announced, clutching his bear closer to his chest.

At that moment, gray eyes locked onto green, and purple respectively.

"Things just got interesting~" Laito hummed.

* * *

"Things just got interesting~"

Harry groaned internally. The last thing he needed were more problems to deal with. Was it that hard to give him a normal life?

"Azusa, you're in this class too?" Yuuma grinned, slinging an arm over his youngest brother. The latter blinked, looking up at the brunette with gray eyes and nodded.

"Alright everyone, take your seats except for the two new transfers!"

 _Great_ , Harry thought as the arm weighing him down slightly lifted from his shoulders. Twenty pairs of eyes looked at the new students with either indifference, curiosity, anger, excitement, or a mix of both. Yuuma didn't seem to care, but the way brown eyes drifted toward the back row made him think differently. After introductions, the Professor (thankfully) let them choose their own seats. The back corner seat by the window is where Azusa chose to sit, and as such, so did Yuuma. Then, Harry was dragged into the world of arithmetic and logic.

* * *

"Where's Kou and Ruki's classroom?" Yuuma grumbled, his fingers pounding the keyboard of his mobile relentlessly. "Bastards, not letting us know. Wanna go look for 'em with me?"

Azusa shook his head. His head hurt from the onslaught of knowledge he had received. Maybe if Ruki was in a good mood, then he would help him out.

"Text me... when you find them," He murmured, laying his head upon the cool desk. _Ah, that felt better..._

"Hello~" _Bloody. Hell. Yuuma, come back!_

Reluctantly, Azusa opened his eyes to see a green eyed teen with a fedora, grinning at him. He stayed silent.

"Aw, don't close up on me, little mouse~"

 _Mouse? Little? Just because he hadn't been gifted with the genes for height didn't mean he was little!_

It must have shown on his face because the redhead's practically lit up at the sight. "That's a cute face, little mouse~ Maybe if you converse with me, then I won't call you little anymore."

 _Yeah? What about words similar to it,_ he wanted to shout, but instead lifted his head from the cool desk.

"...I have to... use the bathroom..." Azusa commented, but the male seemed to have predicted that.

"I can show you where it is. I bet you don't even know its location~" _True, but it's not like I'm going to admit it!_

"I will... be fine."

"What type of person would I be to not help a new transfer student to the bathroom?"

There were soft whispers and giggles from the crowd, and Azusa just wanted to _go_. Then, his phone vibrated.

"Hm, you have a mobile, too? Ne, let's share numbers."

 _Like hell!_ But he didn't give up. Who was Harry to deny a chance of freedom? So, against his better judgement and self preservation instinct, he handed his phone to the redhead. It was only later that he realized that he hadn't caught the name.

Outside of the classroom, Azusa flipped open his phone.

 **Notifications: 60 new messages**

 _Sixty new messages? What have they been doing?_

 **Brother Bear: oi what class r u guys in?**

 **Brother Bear: azu and i want 2 no**

 **Brother Bear: oi**

 **Brother Bear: oi**

 **Brother Bear: oi**

 **Blonde Devil: Stop with the spamming! :V #369 on the third floor!**

 **Ruki: Incorrect. Room #300 right by the library, Yuuma. Do stop with the spamming, and Kou, stop antagonizing him.**

 **Brother Bear: KOU YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE THAT WAS THE GIRLS LOCKER ROOM IM GONNA KILL YOU**

 **Blonde Devil: Aw, Ruki... :( Ruining my fun.**

 **Blonde Devil: Haha, Yuuma, you actually fell for that! ;D**

 **Brother Bear: sleep with 1 eye open 2nite kou**

 **Blonde Devil: Hai~ Should I be scared?**

 **Ruki: ...**

He kept scrolling down particularly amused at the death threats Yuuma managed to come up with.

 **Brother Bear: azu the room is 300 not 369 watch out for the NEET sleeping on the stairs. Bastard almost tripped me**

 **Blonde Devil: Azusa is on this chat? He's been so quiet... :O**

 **Brother Bear: read your damn contact list idiot**

 **Blonde Devil: Azusa, Yuuma's being mean to me! :'(**

 **Brother Bear: ,,l,,**

 **Blonde Devil: *sob***

 **Me: 300. Tankq Yuuma**

 **Brother Bear: fucking take that kou! Azu loves me best!**

 **Blonde Devil: No way~ Did you see his present to me? I'm Azusa's favorite brother**

 **Brother Bear: like hell!**

 **Blonde Devil: Azusa, ^-^ tell Yuuma how I'm your favorite~**

 **Me: I love all of my brothers equally**

 **Me: My favorite would be Ruki 'cuz he isn't blowing up my mobile with messages**

Suddenly, his leg caught on something, then he was falling back. Or he would be if it weren't for the hand wrapped around his waist. With a tug, Azusa was dropped into someone's lap. Heat blossomed in his cheeks.

"Sorry," he murmured, grasping the large and pale hand and trying to move it away from his person. Trying being the keyword.

"You smell good." A face pressed against the back of his neck, settling into the crook of his shoulder. If his face could get any redder, Azusa was sure it would be.

"Thank you..?" Their grip tightened before disappearing completely. The black haired teen didn't think twice, bolting from the person as quick as his legs could take him. Blue eyes glanced upstairs to where the boy had taken off, a small frown tugging at his lips.

"Interesting."

Slamming the door open to room 369, Azusa didn't bother to apologize as he headed to the combined desks in which his brothers currently sat at. Sliding into the desk next to Yuuma, his head dropped on to the cold wood, headache now returning with full force. There was silence for just a minute before a rough finger prodded him in the side. Yuuma recoiled at the venomous glare his youngest brother sent at him.

"Damn. What happened to you?"

"Yuuma... left."

The brunette laughed, snatching a piece of takoyaki and popping it into his mouth. Ruki's cooking was as delicious as always. "You're the one who declined."

Azusa sighed, snatching a takoyaki and popping it into his mouth. Flipping out his mobile, he had four new messages, and two from a _**Laito Sakamaki** ~_. He opened the one from the latter first.

 ** _Laito Sakamaki~_** : **Hi Azusa~**

 ** _Laito Sakamaki~: Azusa~_**

 **Me: Just because you have my number doesn't mean I have to respond.**

After a minute of quiet, Harry opened his brothers' chat.

 **Ruki: Love you too, Azusa.**

 **Brother Bear: harsh azu, sry**

 **Blonde Devil: Sorry, Azusa :(**

 **Blonde Devil: Sorry baby~**

 **Me: I hate you, Kou**

 **Blonde Devil: *gasp* Noooo-!**

 **Ruki: We are sitting directly across from each other. Speak verbally, not virtually.**

The three grinned sheepishly grinned, each mobile device going into their pockets, respectively.


	5. Self-Discoveries

**FANatic Writer: Now that makes sense. Thanks for the warnings! I've had lots of flame PMs, but it doesn't mean I'll give up on the fanfic. Thanks for sticking with me.**

 **For all of you guys that have stuck with me so far despite the lack of warnings, thanks a bunch. Thank you again, ImagInarI for beta-reading my fanfic and correcting errors. It's a huge help! Additionally, I'd like to thank Kura, Ale-kit, and Dawn for helping me with Azusa's psyche. I wouldn't have been able to write it without you guys. While looking at traffic stats the other day, I've noticed that this fanfic is in a community! I'm so excited! It also has more than two thousand views! For that, here are a few spoilers for other chapters:**

 **Chapter Six: Valentine's Day and bloodpops. Which character matches up with sweets?**

 **Chapter Seven: The one and only harem girl comes forth. I've briefly mentioned her in the chapter beforehand, but here we'll get to see what the Mukami do with her. Most specifically, Azusa. We both know that a certain Potter's heroic nature won't let him stand for it.**

 **Chapter Eight: For those who really don't prefer yaoi, don't read this chapter.**

 **Warning: Story contains hints of yaoi, cutting, cursing, and child abuse. If Laito counts as a warning, I'm putting him as a warning as well.**

* * *

 **Original Plot: In the original anime, Azusa Mukami was a fragile boy with a troublesome past. After his parents abandoned him, Azusa was found by three children—Justin, Melissa, and Christina—and accepted into their group. Unfortunately, the young boy was not just a normal member of the trio—no, he was their punching bag. After a while of them taking their frustrations out upon him, Azusa began to enjoy it, his sense of right and wrong twisting severely. In the end, the quartet went on their greatest thievery yet, but were captured and sentenced to death immediately. Azusa was the only one who escaped that fate. After getting caught by a policeman, he was taken to the orphanage where he met his future brothers: Ruki, Yuma, and Kou. Together, the four treated the youngest boy nicely (or at least better than the rest), and they escaped. The first escape resulted in failure. The orphanage caretakers shot them all down with the exception of Ruki, who was branded. As they were dying, a man by the name of Karlheinz offered them a choice: to become immortal and not have to suffer like they had previously, or to die. All four chose the former, Azusa being the most hesitant.**

 **Plot Twist:** **What if after Voldemort was vanquished, Harry Potter was betrayed by his friends, and then committed suicide by going into** _ **The Veil**_ **in which Sirius also went into; however, he was reborn as Mukami Azusa.**

 **Self-Discoveries**

Extracurricular activities. He didn't know which one to choose. Cooking was alright, but they competed internationally, and he didn't have enough money to travel. There would be no more burdens on _that man_ , Ruki, or Kou. Gardening? Yuuma was signing up for that one, but he wasn't going to. Plants weren't exactly his forte. Reading? Definitely not. Sports, he knew, would amass a major amount of attention whether he was proficient in it or not. That is a no.

Daggers? That sounded promising...

Scribbling his name on the application, Azusa stuffed the paper into his pocket and continued outside. He had never been so happy as to hear the bell signal for the end of the day. Sliding into the limo, he was greeted by sour faces.

"...Did something happen?"

That seemed to be the dam opener. For the next forty-five minutes, Kou seemed to go on and on about a classmate named Reiji so that by the end of the ride home, Azusa was almost as angry at Reiji as the blonde.

 _ **Laito Sakamaki~**_ **: Little mouse what club are you joining?~ I have the fashion club~**

Azusa sighed; Kou was going to love that.

 **Me: Dagger club**

The reply was instant.

 _ **Laito Sakamaki~**_ **: Kinky~ Do you have a talent with knives, little mouse?**

 **Me: My brothers always tell me never to respond to stupid comments**

 _ **Laito Sakamaki~**_ **: Haven't they ever told you not to talk to strangers?**

 **Me: Yes. Perverts too.**

 _ **Laito Sakamaki~**_ **: If you come over tomorrow, I can** _ **show**_ **you that I am neither a pervert, nor a stranger.**

A pale hand covered his mouth to muffle the laughter that would spill out. _The day I fall for this pervert is the day Merlin is revived._

 **Me: I would truly be the mouse in that situation**

 _ **Laito Sakamaki~**_ **: Meow~**

 _ **Laito Sakamaki~:**_ **You'd get to meet my brothers.**

 **Me: My brothers would not approve**

 _ **Laito Sakamaki~:**_ **Is that how it is? Your brothers could come over as well. You are, after all, of lower blood.**

What did that mean? Was there some sort of hierarchy he had been submitted into without knowing?

 **Me: Lower blood?**

"—then he called me _filth_! Can you believe it? Me, filth? I am more famous than he will ever be!"

Kou was still ranting. Was it too much to ask for the vehicle to drive faster?

"Sakamaki, Laito; that annoying _pest_."

Azusa blinked, his hand brushing against the mobile tucked safely within his pants pocket. What were the chances of the redhead from his class and Kou's new rival being the same person? Considering Melissa's earlier words, Harry once again cursed his luck. A storm was brewing, and once again, he was involved. When had they changed topics from a Reiji, to Laito?

"Tch," Yuuma scoffed, crossing his arms. "You think that damn pervert is bad, the eldest is something else. The damn NEET was lying on the stairs when I was tryin' to find you guys. Damn it, did he expect me to step _over_ him?! His fucking legs took up all of the room!"

Ruki seemed to contemplate about saying something, but decided not to. "It sounds like each of you have had a productive first day," he stated, his tone light. "I have yet to hear from Azusa, however."

Said vampire blinked, looking up at his brothers. "I have not... heard from Ruki either."

"Indeed," the eldest agreed. "I had hoped to reminisce upon my day later because Karlheinz has entrusted us to a great deal of responsibility."

The three—Azusa included—looked at Ruki in shock. Nobody had heard from the man in months since registering them into Ryoutei Academy. Occasionally, he would send books about the theory of magic and control. This time, however, Azusa had received something different. Harry was surprised to see a white letter stapled to the cover of the book. With it came a small, rectangular box that practically radiated dark magic. It sent chills down his spine even thinking about it.

"Normally our food has mostly come from hospitals and donors."

None of them wanted to speak of the other source. It was disgusting, another reminder of what they truly were.

"Karlheinz has entrusted us with sacrificial brides—females around our age." Ruki swallowed before continuing. "They have all lived somewhat normal lives. A loving family, they have an education, and good clothes. Most of all, they are obligated to a service called _The Church_."

"How ominous," Kou murmured, fidgeting with his fingers. Yuuma, Harry noticed, had an uncharacteristically complex expression upon his face. Even Ruki seemed to be thinking over the concept.

 _Bloody hell, am I the only sane one here?_

"She arrives in a week's time, and I would like to know your opinion well before then. Does this Saturday sound appropriate?"

After agreeing to the suggestion, the quartet went into their respective rooms to think, yet nobody spoke of it.

* * *

Wednesday was the start of his new choice of club, and Yuuma had decided to accompany him. The brunette yawned, long arms resting upon the back of his neck.

"If it is boring... to Yuuma, then he can leave," Azusa suggested, paying particular attention to the gleam of the silver knives. It was almost as if it were calling to him—moonlight illuminating the sharpened weapon like the stars within the darkened sky.

"Nah can't leave you here by yourself, 'Zusa. What kind of brother would I be if I did?"

The younger male didn't know whether to scowl, or to smile at the warm feeling flooding through his body.

"Listen up! This isn't just a club for the wimps!" A man of about thirty years of age stood in the front of the room. The sun had done a number to his body, roasting it to a nice natural tan color. Wavy black hair, sharp blue eyes, and a muscular build signaled to Harry that the man was serious about his job. _This will be interesting._

"You wimps have to be able to hit the board! No cracking it, pinning it to the wall, getting the edge, none of that bull! You have what it takes; get your arse over here!"

Yuuma smirked. "I like this guy."

Two things had happened in the span of five minutes. The population had dropped to half the number of students there had been before, and a half of the remaining people had been rejected.

"Sakamaki, Subaru, huh? Your brother has shown me great talent in this skill. Let's see what you can do."

 _There was another one?_ Yuuma looked to be impassive, but the way pale hands clenched together at his side told a different story. Sometimes, Azusa worried that his brother's temper would be the death of him. Subaru, on the other hand, looked indifferent, yet his eyes held a sort of fire that made Harry shudder. Those were the eyes of a determined man.

Sakamaki Subaru had a thin body like his own from the war; lean, and packed with muscles that were hidden under his clothes. Like his brothers, he had pale skin, sharp features, and a handsome face. In contrast to them, he had narrow, light red eyes that slanted up like a cat's. His full head of white hair stopped directly at the base of his neck.

"I'll be damned," the tan man whispered, glancing over to the white haired male.

Snapping out of his trance, Azusa looked up to see five entrancing silver knives embedded within the bullseye of each target board. The crowd roared with shock and awe, but the two Mukami knew better. No matter how hard the challenge, vampires had the advantage with their improved eyesight; however, the man in charge of the club seemed to know this as well—his large grin conveying all that needed to be said. That, or he was excited at the prospect of new strength he would be receiving this year.

"Fucking show off," Yuuma grumbled.

The Sakamaki stiffened, his body pivoting to look directly at Azusa and Yuuma.

"Think you could do better?" He snarled, the grip upon the silver knives tight. "I'd like to see you try."

Brown eyes glanced at Subaru with amusement. Yuuma had used to be in a gang before arriving in the orphanage. From what Harry knew about gangs, there was a certain amount of respect that one had to gain to continuously stay as one of the higher-ups within them. He had seen his brother fight hand-to-hand as well as with weapons, and adapt to his surroundings. If there was anything that Yuuma could rely on, it would be his strength and accuracy.

The broad smirk riled Subaru to the point where impaling the tall brunette with a knife seemed like a good idea. Nevertheless, he stepped back and allowed the Mukami to prove his worth.

 _Thunk_

 _Thunk_

 _Thunk_

Subaru gritted his teeth as each dagger imbedded itself into the dart board. With the coach's approval, Yuuma was officially accepted into the Dagger Club.

"Show 'em what you've got, Azusa."

Like his older brother, the youngest Mukami showed his one hundred percent accuracy with a simple flick of his hand. _Why does it look as if he had been doing it for a lifetime,_ the coach thought while watching his movement? _Could it be that he is a natural? Tch, prodigious vampires. With these three and my star, the competition should be a cinch._

In the end, only eight people were selected to be members.

"Welcome to The Dagger Club," the coach grinned, showing off his elongated canine teeth. "Call me Coach Lichtman and we won't have many problems. This admittance test is _nothing_ compared to the international competition that you will be competing in. As such, your training will be _hell_ that would have even the devil whimpering in fear."

Most people remained indifferent having expected this type of challenge. Both Yuuma and Subaru had traces of a grin upon their face, and Harry believed that the coach would have a field day with them.

"I was wondering when you'd arrive, Shuu."

Azusa blinked. Yuuma's face had changed from a prideful grin to a vicious glare capable of sending men crying to their mum. Shuu Sakamaki, the champion of the dagger club, had golden blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and a lax posture. Both Sakamaki, however, had a similar feel to them; powerful, like a certain person that he could not yet relate. After a rough slap to the back from the coach, the blonde faced the eight other members with a disinterested glance—that is, until he saw Yuuma. Shock and love flashed within his eyes before going blank. It was almost as if they were long lost acquaintances—which they could have been—if the latter had expressed any sort of emotion other than vehement dislike. Harry suspected that if it weren't for that, the Sakamaki would have been over Yuuma like ants to honey.

Oddly enough, said emotions didn't stay for too long. The corners of his mouth tilted up into a small smirk upon seeing him, and Azusa shivered—was he missing something?

"These two," Shuu murmured, inclining his head in the direction of the Mukami. "As well as my brother will make good additions to the team."

Although said praise had a pleasant effect on Azusa, his brother receded into his anger until the next day.

 _ **Laito Sakamaki~:**_ **It looks like you've met my brothers~**

 **Me: ?**

 _ **Laito Sakamaki~:**_ **I have my sources. I'll see you in class tomorrow, Azusa~**

* * *

And he did for the next three days within the week. When the weekend came, he couldn't have been happier. Ruki chose to seclude himself within his quarters, surrounded with books of varying lengths and genres. Yuuma was passed out on the couch, eyes shut and body lax. As for his second eldest brother... he had no idea where Kou had gone, but it was probably to his job as an idol.

For Azusa, today would be the day in which new discoveries were to be made. The small pool of magic lay within him, simmering impatiently. _Let me_ do _something!_ As the days progressed, the small pool would grow bigger with every movement, every nutrient added as if it were feeding off of his body. In a way, it had been.

Now was the time to let it free.

 _There are many spells and charms in which warlocks and demons alike are said to have created during times of war. Although weak, these spells often aid beginners and advanced magical beings in becoming powerful. Using them would help entail that the individual has good control over their magic._

 _Initially, begin with mediation. In order to call forth the power from within, one must look deep and answer its plea._

Back in his previous life, his breath would have come out long and steady, body motionless except for the movement of his chest. Sometimes the meditation would last for thirty minutes. In other cases, they would last hours. The first time he had done so, it had taken two hours and some-odd minutes for him to return. However, he had been _alive_. Now, Harry sat on the hard stone ground, stationary. Contrary to his body, his mind was the complete opposite. A thick cloud of mist greeted him, thickening the deeper he went.

Eventually, a luminescent blue color was able to be seen. Harry exhaled, slowly reaching out to touch the core. _I will free you of your binds... come to me._ It did, and he was elated; however, it was too eager. It surrounded him, swirling about like a school of fish escaping from a predator. He choked, reaching out to grab something—anything—that was in reach, but there was nothing. Then, there was.

 _ **Go.**_

 _ **Go.**_

 _ **No stopping, no matter how much it hurt.**_ _**Why would he ever be happy when the ones that had given him a purpose**_ _ **to live for were dead? Stupid man, stupid Azusa.**_

 _ **Stupid.**_

 _ **He was worthless. They hadn't taken him because he was weak, intolerable, and a pain. Yet, whenever they were mad, all of the anger and frustration would go to him. Nobody understood his happiness—if they were happy taking their negative emotions out on him, then so be it. He would suffer just for them, just to see them smile. He would smile, too, because he was happy.**_

 _ **Justin.**_

 _ **Melissa.**_

 _ **Christina.**_

 _ **Azusa is sorry he could not ease your pain. He is sorry... that you must now be alone. Azusa... will never forget you. Eventually, he collapsed upon the rough pavement, laughing and sobbing for what felt like hours. They were his**_ **family** _ **—nobody could forget family. The pleasure would never be forgotten. His hand brushed against a damp box that had been out in the rain for a brief amount of time, and his stomach growled. Shivering, the boy rummaged through the cardboard box, but his finger was nicked by something sharp. A small droplet of crimson slowly ran down the pale finger, and with it, so did his grief.**_

" _ **I know a way that we can always be together," Azusa whispered, a small giggle following the soft statement.**_

 _ **From the box came a dull, silver butter knife no bigger than his hand. "This will do," he murmured, pressing it against his skin.**_

" _ **One for Christina~" The blade collected red, slicing through the flesh like scissors to paper.**_

" _ **One for Melissa~" This time, the cut was a bit longer, but more blood was drawn. Azusa didn't care—if he died, he'd be reunited with his family!**_

" _ **And one," he laughed, dragging the knife deeply into his arm, "for Justin~ Whenever you start to fade, I will simply bring you back. Do you hear me? When that time arrives, I will have something better than a simple butter knife!"**_

 _ **The laughter continued even when the shopkeeper found him clutching the knife with a fierce possessiveness. Pitying the small child (with no small hint of disgust), the man took him to the orphanage.**_

The magic continued to swirl around him, ripping through his mind like a sharp blade. There were some about what the caretakers had done to him when he disobeyed their orders, and a few about what _Azusa_ had experienced with the orphanage children. Through tears, Azusa managed to reign in his magic, securing it in a loosely coiled ball before returning back to reality.

Harry Potter didn't exist anymore.

Azusa Mukami did, and he'd live this life to the fullest.

"Please don't do this!" A feminine voice screamed. Her voice pierced his ears like nails on a chalkboard. Why was there a girl in the manor..? Even with study groups, Ruki never allowed anyone to come over.

"P-Please don't!"

It didn't make any sense! He could still feel his brothers' auras, and another foreign one that was rapidly draining. Disregarding his appearance, _Azusa_ stepped out of his room, dashing towards the banister with a scream on his lips—

He knew something had been off.

Yesterday, Yuuma had been severely irritated with the eldest Sakamaki—Shuu. Kou had always been annoyed with Reiji. Azusa shouldn't have been surprised.

But he was.

Standing in the middle of the room, dark red staining her light pink top and beige shorts, was a young woman. Blue eyes were swollen and pink, water falling in thin streams to the ground. She had a young face that would make any parent proud with the innocence and beauty that would one day ensnare a loving husband, but he supposed she would never have the chance. The worst part was something he couldn't refuse—the thick, crimson liquid pouring from her body smelt _delicious,_ like cookies fresh from the oven, He, too, wanted to sink his fangs into pale skin and just _drink_.

 **Azusa wasn't a monster.**

But he was. Ever since being turned into a vampire, he knew that he was a monster. Regardless of his past life, he still drained others (be them animals, or some other being one day) of their life source.

How _despicable_ was _that_?

Ruki sat on the couch, gray eyes closed. Azusa didn't think that he hadn't been one to drink the young woman's blood until he saw the light smudge of red by the corner of his lips. _Not Ruki—sensible, and calm. Never Ruki_. He couldn't see a head of blonde hair hovering over the woman's body. _It wasn't Kou—humorous, smiling. Never Kou._ Yuuma wasn't pinning the young woman's wrists together, nor was he directly draining her of blood. _I don't see Yuuma—feisty, amusing. Never Yuuma. Who_ are _these impostors, and why are they in the manor?_

"Who... are you?" questioned Azusa, gray eyes peering first into startled brown ones, surprised gray ones, and guilty hetero-chromatic ones.

"My brothers—" he continued, forcing down a choked sob. "My brothers... wouldn't do such a thing. Not... to a human who is lower... and weaker than them." A teary-eyed smile formed upon his face when no one answered. The woman's body now lay upon the ground, motionless.

"Who... are you?"


	6. Blood-pops & Chocolate

**Paxloria : Definitely the former. Harry will live his life truly as Azusa, but there's no way he's giving up his memories or magic. In fact, those will help him (and coincidentally the others) with a certain Vampire King. **

**Convincing his brothers to change, hm... I like that idea, but it will have to be done ever so slowly. Club nationals, dinner, Yui, Karlheinz, Tsukinami, demons, and small hints of comic relief.**

 **The texts were... annoying? I'll keep that in mind, so thank you for the feedback. I appreciate it!**

 **FANactic Writer: You're touching up on something I'll do later. (*Hint*) **

**Sousie : Have I failed you yet?**

 **Modymoon : Harry, in a sense, is slowly gaining ground. Just because his memories have mostly come back doesn't mean that the spells learned from Hogwarts, the war, and on his own will immediately come back. I do agree with you that I need to emphasize this (with Karlheinz). I hope this clears it up for you. (Some of your message was cut off, so...)**

 **ThePaintedHand & Wicken25: The things I put him through. **

**Val 3:** **¡Gracias! Usted es la primera persona Española de revisar, y espero de impresionar con mi historia. Mucho gusto, Val.**

 **It's been awhile! Once again, high praise to my beta reader, ImagInarI, for once again criticizing and proofreading my story. Thank you. Thank you to my viewers and readers (and reviewers) for sticking with me despite all of my long gaps in updating. That being said, do enjoy this new chapter.**

* * *

 **Original Plot: In the original anime, Azusa Mukami was a fragile boy with a troublesome past. After his parents abandoned him, Azusa was found by three children—Justin, Melissa, and Christina—and accepted into their group. Unfortunately, the young boy was not just a normal member of the trio—no, he was their punching bag. After a while of them taking their frustrations out upon him, Azusa began to enjoy it, his sense of right and wrong twisting severely. In the end, the quartet went on their greatest thievery yet, but were captured and sentenced to death immediately. Azusa was the only one who escaped that fate. After getting caught by a policeman, he was taken to the orphanage where he met his future brothers: Ruki, Yuma, and Kou. Together, the four treated the youngest boy nicely (or at least better than the rest), and they escaped. The first escape resulted in failure. The orphanage caretakers shot them all down with the exception of Ruki, who was branded. As they were dying, a man by the name of Karlheinz offered them a choice: to become immortal and not have to suffer like they had previously, or to die. All four chose the former, Azusa being the most hesitant.**

 **Plot Twist:** **What if after Voldemort was vanquished, Harry Potter was betrayed by his friends, and then committed suicide by going into** _ **The Veil**_ **in which Sirius also went into; however, he was reborn as Mukami Azusa.**

* * *

Azusa didn't come out of his room for the next three days. He was pitiful. They were monsters—people who fed on the blood of others regardless of one's emotions were abhorrent. Of course, vampires needed the blood for nutrients. Azusa had trouble controlling his own blood-lust combined with the fact that—oh, so that's what the problem was. Why didn't he think of it earlier?

Sadism in most people weren't simply caused by genetics. That particular emotion manifested by some sort of traumatizing event, or gradually increased from an embryonic stage. He was no Ruki, but Azusa could guess why his brothers had done what they did... to a degree. The orphanage had been a brutal—no, a deadly place to be, let alone live in. Ruki had come from a family of elites. While he didn't know most of the details, his father had been a wealthy business manager until he went bankrupt. His mother had run off with some secret lover (which _Harry_ could relate to due to the case with Ginny). In the end, said bankrupt man had committed suicide when things had gotten rough leaving his son alone to the mercy of the manor and servants. To Azusa, there were plenty of gaps within this logic.

" **I've treated them as if they were nothing but scum beneath my feet," Ruki stated calmly. "Said pieces of trash repaid me in kind."**

Kou's case was even crueler. _Harry_ knew war like the back of his palm. Men in times of times of hardship would often go to bars and clubs due to nerves and stress. Women would huddle into corners and take comfort with their children and/or hobbies such as knitting, gardening, and reading. At least, that was back within the early seventeenth century coming to the early twentieth century. In contrast to those times, they'd help in whatever ways they could, or seethe angrily at the men. Men, however, were the worst in those times of war. Decisions were made, children abused and taken for military or sexual purposes. Kou had been taken for the latter. He had a pretty face and a nice smile, with his feminine features who wouldn't want a catch like him? Contrary to Harry's belief, the orphanage at the time still fed the blonde well and provided nice clothing, but they didn't keep him within their walls.

" **I thought the orphanage was heaven at first," Kou smiled, his one cerulean blue eye filled with hate. "But I'm not that naive anymore."**

Yuuma's situation was... to be expected. Azusa suspected both he and Kou to be in the same area at the time, but the former had been involved in a gang. A gang that had all been shot down by the military. Yuuma had had wounds from all of the fights, but couldn't remember much more. Occasionally, he would have nightmares relating to them, and he'd skip school with the excuse of being exhausted.

" **Lucks was the leader of our gang," stated Yuuma with an indifferent tone. "Bastard wasn't so lucky after all."**

His past didn't hold a candle to theirs. In fact, Azusa considered himself lucky...

In the past there had been a saying which he chose to abide by, "Treat people the way you want to be treated."

Ruki had treated people lower than him like trash, and they had done the same to him in turn. Now, instead of forgetting or realizing the reason why, he was taking his revenge out upon the humans. Kou and Yuuma were doing the same, and Azusa really couldn't blame them. With as many wounds as his brothers received, only those with strong hearts would be able to deal with the damage.

 _I wouldn't mind if they took out their frustration on me... It's better than taking it out on others._

He blinked. _Where the hell did that come from?_ No, what mattered was what they were turning into. It didn't change the fact that they were monsters, but not all paranormal had to be malicious. Remus Lupin, his former teacher and ally, had been a fairly peaceful werewolf. He knew it wouldn't be easy; rape, self-embarrassment, and pride weren't to be tampered with, but he would do it for his brothers. To do this, however, he needed to apologize, and it wasn't just because they needed to be _fixed_. Family meant that one accepted the other, regardless of what or who they were; Ruki, Kou, and Yuuma weren't stereotypical monsters.

Azusa would prove it because if they were truly vile... what was he?

That night, no night terrors came to haunt him.

He awoke to the sound of a fist banging heavily on his door. Once... Twice... Thrice... Only Yuuma would have such a heavy hand. To his surprise, after the third knock, it went quiet. Then... he left. That didn't bode well.

Ruki liked books, Kou expensive things, and Yuuma sweets. Right now, he didn't have the allowance to support it. What little he did have would supply only one person with a gift. The latter wouldn't be so bad, but the last time in the kitchen resulted in a disgusting cake. Ruki never let him back in, regardless of his literacy, but...

Ruki wasn't home.

A small grin spread across Azusa's face, pale cheeks tinting pink with excitement. The kitchen is a big place: marble walls supporting multiple wooden cabinets painted a light white. Silverware (literally made of silver) were all piled within one big drawer, neatly. Pots and pans were stored beneath said wide drawer, and the cutting boards in a narrow, yet tall cabinet beside the pots and pans. His oldest brother was so meticulous about organizing, that each and every tool also was arranged from smallest to biggest. As to not make the teen any angrier with him, Azusa would carefully clean and place them back in their respective places.

He would do all the housework within the manor in order for forgiveness. Desperate is too mundane a word to describe his feelings.

Taking a deep breathe, Azusa released his magic and felt around the manor. The plants gradually dying within their respective vases thrived once more as the energy briefly brushed against them. Their aura were strong and musky, but neither were like a human's or paranormal's. Searching around more gave the conclusion that there were no odd presences, or signs of any other being within his home.

 _Good._

There had to be a dish that was quick and simple to make. Something sweet, yet promising...

 _Ah_.

Today was February 13, the day before a certain holiday. It was stupid because men only received sweets from women on _that day_ , but March is a month away. Too long would he have to wait to rekindle the flame with his brothers, and Azusa wasn't that patient. Ruki didn't like chocolate, so that ruled out that idea, plus it was a pain to clean and mold. Cookies weren't an option, and neither were cupcakes and muffins. Something about the heat the oven emitted just didn't settle right.

 _Were candies too hard to make? All you had to do was grab dye, sugar, and popsicle sticks, right? Grab a large pot and boil the sugar and water, then place the stick in..? Something like that. Simple and sweet!_

Where did Ruki keep the dye..?

Azusa stepped out of his room and shut the door behind him. After eagerly descending the stairs and entering the kitchen, he got to work. Oddly enough, he couldn't smell the sharpness of the colorful liquid. There was a spell to locate objects like that, right? _Accito? Accivio?_

" _Accio_ dye!"

Nothing happened. There was a small burst of magic from his side, but nothing came. This time, Azusa imagined a bottle of red liquid labelled _dye_ and called again with the same result; therefore, there was none within the manor. _Drat._

He would go with Plan B, fruit. Clear candy was creepy, so the next best thing would be fruit flavor. Not only did they have their own sugar, but they were also packed with vitamins and nutrients... not like it would matter. Regardless, Azusa stuck with the plan. Upon opening the fridge, the youngest found an unusually abundant amount of human blood.

The guilt came back tenfold.

It wasn't even an option as to whether or not the consolation would be made. Azusa would confront each brother personally and apologize from his heart. The lollipops would be heart shaped as well—how feminine could he get? The idea was fairly tempting though... They had bought or bargained for these bags with Karlheinz no doubt, and Azusa was going to use them.

The Wizarding World held a candy called blood-flavored lollipops. Known for their definite taste of blood, and deep red color, these _sweets_ were accustomed for paranormal in order to blend in, and pranks. Azusa had never had the pleasure of trying one until now. _Who would have thought?_ He thought sardonically, grabbing an armful of the blood bags. Now there was half the amount than before, which was alright with him. As a taste enhancer, the strawberries were also taken from the fridge.

Using the berries as a base, he boiled them together with the crimson liquid and set to finding molds. Contrary to belief, Kou liked the different molds. Animals, sports, famous faces—Ruki would bake cookies and use them to section off the dough. Locating them was easy. After rinsing them out, he took the honey and lightly brushed each container with it. When the concoction boiled, each mixture went into a mold with a toothpick inserted at the center.

About an hour before his brothers (especially Yuuma) arrived home, the suckers were wrapped into their own individual packages and stored in a red bucket under the bed. The dishes had just been cleaned, the last one placed in its respective cupboard before the lock _clicked_.

Azusa had never run so fast in his life. His door slammed shut just as the front door slammed open. _Safe for another day..._

The next day, the familiar irritating uniform was donned. Gray eyes peered down to his mobile which, suspiciously, hadn't gone off in the four days he had been absent from school. The reason why was apparent as soon as the power button was pushed. As far as he was concerned, the phone had never been turned off by him, but a certain perverted Sakamaki would be a bother. He could _feel_ it.

Melissa burned; conveying that she too, did not want to go out, but Azusa had obligations.

It should have been no surprise that the first one he bumped into (literally) was Yuuma. Their bond was the strongest though he loved his brothers dearly. An arm wrapped around his waist, preventing him from falling face first on to the ground. Gray eyes looked into brown ones filled with confusion and... hurt. Azusa blurted out the first thing he could think of.

"I'm sorry-!" He coughed. "Yuuma won't accept... simple apologies, yet I'll try anyway. I don't think Yuuma... is a monster, it was... scary watching the woman die... in your hands, and—"

"Oi," the brunette started with a frown upon his face. "You're right. I don't give a shit about apologies, but it scared us too, ya know? The expression on your face gave us the chills. We're family, so there's no need to be scared of us. Besides, you're the youngest and all and we have to protect ya—"

A smile graced Azusa's face. As Yuuma rambled on, a red lollipop was pulled from the equally red bucket. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Eh? So now Yuuma gets to talk to you and I can't?"

Standing on top of the stairs, a familiar blonde with hetero-chromatic eyes, arms crossed, and an irritated expression, sneered. "Suddenly all is good and peachy?" The last word came out harshly, a spray of saliva escaping his mouth. Azusa flinched. Unlike Yuuma, Kou held a grudge like no other. "Locking yourself in your room for _three days_ and then making some sort of _candy!? Who do you think I am?_ " Nose turned up, the idol made his way to the vehicle without glancing back.

"Ah, Yuuma, you can let me go now," he murmured, and was released seconds later.

"We can talk more in the car," Ruki murmured, completely passing the duo on the stairs in route to the vehicle. The ride to the academy was filled with apologies, sympathetic remarks, and sneers. Adding to his surprise, light bags shadowed his brothers' eyes although they played it off rather well. Especially Kou given his adamant refusal to even look at the youngest Mukami. He shook his head, thrusting the bucket full of blood-pops toward the person closest to him.

"I made them... myself," he murmured. "Please accept my sincerest apologies for doubting my family."

"I'm not one for sweets," Ruki began, but took a sucker out anyway. Kou glanced at the bucket, down to the floor, and took one as well. (Azusa didn't know how to really take that response.) Yuuma snatched three from the bin, popping one into his mouth instantly. His eyes widened.

"What did you put in here?"

"Blood, honey, and strawberries." His two eldest brothers chuckled.

"Thank you, Azusa," Ruki thanked, reaching over to ruffle his hair. Azusa blushed, offering a smile before the car came to a stop. There were twenty blood-pops left within the bucket, and he honestly didn't know what else to do with them. First come, first serve sounded like a good idea.

* * *

Their blood supply was running low. Despite the fact that different sacrifices were being brought to the manor every other week, not all six of them would share it. The triplets had each other's backs; Subaru had his own endeavors within the forest, and the deadbeat... Tch, he couldn't care less. Reiji sighed, running a pale, slender hand through his neatly combed hair. The hospital in which he had normally bargained with (and it was no do-or-die matter, mind you) were almost completely wiped out. If not for the Sakamaki being their richest customer, Reiji was positive that there would be absolutely nothing left within the safe. As it was, said hospital manager had to dive into the blood used for human procedures; therefore, the cost per blood bag rose significantly. Reiji didn't _like_ to break the norm, and going over budget for food definitely wasn't a worthy cause. In turn, money for insignificant things (like allowances and human food) was deducted.

As usual, many admiring glances were thrown their way as the sleek, black vehicle rolled into the academy's driveway. None of them paid attention. With the exception of Ayato, all of them were prodigious in their studies. Kanato with baking; Shuu and Laito in music; Subaru with his defense training; and Reiji in his studies. Of course, there wasn't a chance he'd let his number one ranking go to waste; however, no matter how meager it sounded to him, Ayato was fairly exceptional at the sport of basketball. He supposed it would earn him a sports scholarship for a good university later.

"I assume you and the deadbeat will be staying after school for club activities," Reiji hypothesized, and turned out to be correct as Subaru nodded in his direction. "We are not having any guest over today, so—"

"You will cook for us?" Kanato asked, a small shine of hope glimmering in his wide, lilac purple eyes. Internally, Reiji groaned as five more pairs of eyes landed upon him.

"It is a treat whenever you decide to cook for us," Laito added, green eyes sparkling.

"Ah? Reiji's actually cooking? Ore-sama wants takoyaki!"

Subaru snorted. "Like hell we are taco head! Not that I care if that megane cooks or not, but I want meat, not seafood!"

"Ore-sama is no taco head, old man!"

"Say that again, _teme_."

"Teddy wants sweets," Kanato intervened, holding the large bear in between the two.

Oh, yes, Reiji _loved_ his _family_.

"A-ano... I'd like salad, if that is okay by Reiji-san," a blonde haired, pink eyed lady murmured, fingering the skirt of her uniform. Laito grinned, draping an arm across her shoulders to drag the human into his chest. "Ah, little bitch; I have a recommendation, too. ~"

"Laito, keep such acts within your room. I will cook something of my choosing if you all will stop bickering like children." He delighted at the sudden silence overtaking the vehicle.

"Ah," Shuu murmured, breaking the quiet. Reiji twitched. " _That man_ has scheduled a dinner arrangement with the whole family. Something about being formal and courteous."

They weren't surprised. At least six times every year, _he_ would hold large dinners in which information upon their lives would be indirectly gained. Stressing the word indirectly because, direct or not, Karlheinz had no qualms in getting data. The six stepped out of the black vehicle, not for a second relishing in the stares full of awe or jealousy. With quick strides they would have immediately entered the Academy if not for the similar looking vehicle pulling up in the exact spot their car had been.

* * *

Finally, the car pulled into the large lot of the Academy. Azusa couldn't have been happier; more homework, strict Professors, and _noise._ Valentine's Day was the second noisiest holiday known to man with Christmas being the crème de la crème. Unlike the movies of a typical high school life, Valentine's Day wasn't the typical mob of screaming and crying women. Instead, with their head held high, the ladies would politely curtsy and offer the chocolate or small gifts. From what he had observed, two of three things would take place:

Being of a more elite status than the one proposing, the one receiving the gift would simply turn it down or not pay attention at all. The ones with sense would take the gift out of courtesy, and maybe gain another ally (no matter how small the company).

As a direct contrast, the rare few elite females that proposed to the lower men were accepted with little hesitation. His stomach would churn uncomfortably as he watched the two with happy smiles upon their face. The vibration of the vehicle speeding up again snapped him out of his thoughts, and he scrambled out quickly.

Brushing the dust off black pants, Azusa looked and came face to face with six Sakamaki. He blinked. The one standing mostly in the front was Shuu, captain of the dagger club. Unlike the first time they met, he seemed more alert and tense as if somebody would start throwing punches. To his right was Subaru, fist clenched at his side and mouth set into a snarl. Laito's red headed brother stood next to him, hands crossed over his chest in an attempt to look intimidating... The perverted redhead stood in between a purplenette—Kanato—and another one. This one, however, Azusa didn't recognize.

Dark purple hair neatly combed stopped just short of his shoulders. (He refused to acknowledge the small amount of jealousy felt when looking at the neatly settled strands, resisting the urge to smooth down locks of his own.) Azusa bristled as the bespectacled crimson eyes looked down at them with nothing short of disgust and indifference. Once again, the fact that these people were of _pureblood_ came strong, and with it, the need to prove to them that he and his brothers were a threat. His magic seemed to agree with him, a thin wave of warmth rushing through the air before being squashed once more into a coiled ball. They were surprised. A great sense of satisfaction welled within, yet caution was not too far behind.

 _To give the Sakamaki another reason to irritate my brothers?_ It seemed that none of them (with the exception of Subaru who had yet to take his feline eyes off of him, Laito, and Shuu) had the slightest clue on who it had come from. Being around Karlheinz—the man with magic a bit on par with Dumbledore's—it would be fairly unusual _not_ to be able to sense it.

Identifying _who_ it came from was the question now.

The dark purplenette pushed his glasses up, giving Azusa a cold stare. Laito seemed even more amused (much to his chagrin), with Shuu and Subaru more tense. The other two didn't seem to notice.

After a few more minutes of the thickening atmosphere, a staff member of the academy started yelling at the remaining students to get to class. Not once did the Professor turn and look at them. With the red bucket in hand, Azusa hurried to catch up with Yuuma's long strides. They made it just as the bell rang. Afterward, the first quarter of the day (from first to second hour) went smoothly.

* * *

Third period, the former gang member strode off with an excuse about using the bathroom, but in reality, Yuuma would probably skip the remaining period and make it back in time for lunch. Suddenly, a chill raked down his spine and his vision went black.

"Guess who, little mouse?"

His lips quirked up. "The sly cat."

"Hai ~" Laito uncovered his eyes and sat upon the desk.

"Sensei should be here soon..."

The redhead's smirk widened as he nodded to the front of the class. Upon the chalkboard written in bold, white letters were the words: "Independent Study. Finish pages one hundred-fifteen and one hundred-eighteen in your English workbooks, then turn in for a grade." Otherwise code for I'm too lazy/exhausted to deal with you teenagers today, so don't _bother me._ Azusa sighed, gray eyes peering into green.

"Laito... has already finished?"

"Mmhm~ It's been twenty minutes since that was posted, and it won't take that long. It's just kanji."

His eye twitched. Everyone and their mother knew how horrendous he was at Japanese even though Ryoutei Academy was situated within Japan. The mood soured instantly at the thought of his remaining half hour of class being used to complete _kanji_ , of all things.

"Why the long face, Azusa? As a friend—"

"No thank you," he intervened, immediately rejecting the offer. Opening the thick, blue workbook to the required page and stared. Thirty-one questions, two long reading passages, and fifteen matching questions taunted him, snickering in amusement. Azusa knew it was just the Sakamaki laughing, but the feeling of imminent doom approached quickly.

"The offer is still open..."

No, he could do this. Ruki and Kou had tirelessly worked with him for months upon months with hiragana, katakana, and kanji. With their continuous efforts the goal really wasn't that far away so long as he focused. Ten minutes later, only the matching questions had been completed.

"Nice job," Laito chuckled, clapping half-heartedly. Azusa _burned_. "At this rate you'll have this finished within an hour—ah, too bad this class end in another twenty minutes. You're lucky the second page is only translating Japanese into English."

"...Please help me, Laito..."

The redhead didn't stop smirking even when the bell rang. With a startled grunt, the Professor stood from his chair and began circling the class with his clipboard and pen. Both vampires received full points, much to Azusa's astonishment.

"Ruki... will be proud of me," he grinned, holding up the fraction representing full marks.

"In exchange for your good grade due to my services, I will require something of you."

"Okay..."

Laito grinned, hauling the younger teen out of his chair, becoming a prop when the other needed to balance. "Come have lunch with my brothers and me. You know most of them anyway."

"That is not a good idea—"

"—because your brothers are strictly against the idea of conversing with the Sakamaki. I would have believed that a few weeks ago, A-zu-sa~ Now, you can concede to this simple request, or I can think of something worse."

Staring into darkening emerald green eyes, another chill raked down his spine. Laito's grip tightened considerably to emphasize his point, but upon looking closer at him, the Mukami couldn't find any signs of ill intent. Just mischief and amusement. Still, had he really been stupid enough to let a _Sakamaki_ into his personal space, let alone _Laito_. He hadn't even noticed it until the price for help had been stated.

 _Bloody hell, I'm comfortable with the enemy._ Moody would be rolling in his grave had he seen him like this.

"Texting my brothers... is something I must do," Azusa stated, his free hand rummaging around in his pants pocket to pull out his mobile. Earlier on between second and third period, the small device had to be caught numerous times from falling off the table due to the many texts he had received. There were multiple from Yuuma and Kou and a few from Laito and Ruki. Interestingly enough, there were also a few from unknown numbers.

 **Who the hell do u think u r, skipping out on practice? Get your arse over here by Wednesday, Mukami, or I'll drag u here myself**

Since Yuuma's contact information was already stored within the phone, there was only one other person that would swear as vehemently when angry; Subaru. Was the club that important to him?

 **Coach is angry. I will be in charge of your punishment.**

It was so blunt and to the point; there was only one person Coach Lichtman would trust to inflict punishment.

Under the Sakamaki's watchful eye, Azusa texted his brothers about his availability for meeting at lunch.

 **Me: Eating lunch with a friend**

After the mini-fight, there was no reason to lie. At this point, the professors would have had their doses of caffeine to prepare for what came next. It was at this time when the piranhas would make their move. He definitely didn't want to be near Kou when that started to happen... but Laito was fairly popular himself. In fact, all of the Sakamaki were popular. Out of the snake pit and into the den of lions. _Great._

* * *

 **I have a favor to ask of everyone. On my profile there is a poll with options of the people Azusa can be paired up with. I'll write some small scenes in relation to this story in order to give you guys a better picture of said relationships.**

 **Vote please? That'd be great, so thank you in advance.**

 **Of course, if this story is good with no pairings or a new one you'd like to offer feel free. I love these reviews!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Azusa.**


	7. Constant Viligance!

**I love reading all of your reviews. They're so amusing at times and they make me laugh. Some of them give me awesome ideas to be later incorporated. I've realized that the word count is increasing when I reply to the comments _within_ the fan fiction (therefore making me a cheater), yet you guys are also a big part of the story... This chapter was a struggle. I was discharged from the hospital about a month ago, so bare with me a bit. This will also be my first chapter not beta'd by ImagInarI. She was my beta, and I appreciate all of her help. Breathe with me.**

 **You won't believe the poll results! I'm not _majorly_ surprised, however... I'll leave it up until chapter eight. I have a sense of where to go now, but can someone please tell me why Kino was voted for? He hasn't arrived yet.  
** **pinkdog16: Thank you for your support! :) Ah, you might get your wish on that. So many people voted for harems it's unbelievable.**

 **Okamishiru & aoin88: Sorry I let you guys down. Not in the aspect of updating, but for the intervals in-between the updates. **

**sousie: High praise~ Please stay with me for awhile.**

 **Echizen Dyoma: Your username! As in Prince of Tennis? I think we have some sadists reading this fanfic, but thank you for your commentary. I appreciate it. **

**FANatic Writer: You're about to find out. :) It's not as bad as what he'll suffer with Shuu though.**

 **MythNephthys: What a complex username... I like it. I'm glad you liked the situation considering it's the first plot point.**

* * *

 **Original Plot: In the original anime, Azusa Mukami was a fragile boy with a troublesome past. After his parents abandoned him, Azusa was found by three children—Justin, Melissa, and Christina—and accepted into their group. Unfortunately, the young boy was not just a normal member of the trio—no, he was their punching bag. After a while of them taking their frustrations out upon him, Azusa began to enjoy it, his sense of right and wrong twisting severely. In the end, the quartet went on their greatest thievery yet, but were captured and sentenced to death immediately. Azusa was the only one who escaped that fate. After getting caught by a policeman, he was taken to the orphanage where he met his future brothers: Ruki, Yuma, and Kou. Together, the four treated the youngest boy nicely (or at least better than the rest), and they escaped. The first escape resulted in failure. The orphanage caretakers shot them all down with the exception of Ruki, who was branded. As they were dying, a man by the name of Karlheinz offered them a choice: to become immortal and not have to suffer like they had previously, or to die. All four chose the former, Azusa being the most hesitant.**

 **Plot Twist: What if after Voldemort was vanquished, Harry Potter was betrayed by his friends, and then committed suicide by going into The Veil in which Sirius also went into; however, he was reborn as Mukami Azusa.**

* * *

 **Chapter Eight (7.5): Conversing with Devils**

The cafeteria wasn't too loud.

After the tour with Melissa, Azusa hadn't dared to step a foot within the cafeteria. Bloodlust wasn't a major concern, but with hushed giggles from excited women, shrieks of excitement, and loud murmurings from _everybody_ , there was no reason to. More than a day in there could result in temporary hearing damage. A month's time? He may have been a vampire, but that amount of pressure would render him deaf. Karlheinz's books had some amazing, yet minor spells that he could have used as well. Muffler spells for individuals and groups, and silencers (which were fairly similar to _silencio_ ) would work as well.

That being said, Azusa really didn't know why the Sakamaki were suicidal.

They were purebloods, sure. From what Ruki had said, they were older than them as well. Living with the noise of everyday life was natural for them now; however, said cafeteria wasn't as boisterous as thought. No loud laughter, no giggles or gossip. Lunch break was where one could speak without prohibition and update on the recent, yet embarrassing events of others. Instead of the place being as loud as a pack of hyenas, they were as quiet as mice. _Apparently, the staff valued their silence as well._ Big, double doors made of steel with a rubber seal on the bottom. He shouldn't have been surprised; his manor's doors were mostly made of wood and made to keep the sound out… if they ever closed them. _That man's_ generous donation could provide multiple doors like this.

Azusa was ninety-nine percent sure that the silence of the lunch area had nothing to do with soundproof doors.

Whenever the Sakamaki entered through the door, the cafeteria suddenly grew softer. Laito opened the door with ease, and most every individual glanced at them. Azusa kept walking after adjusting the bag's strap on his shoulder, cautious and unafraid, yet also keeping an eye on his surroundings. _If I didn't know any better, I'd say I was back in Diagon Alley. The stares and whispers…just like home._

 _This is the influence of the Sakamaki. A dictatorship all written under_ that man's _name._

"Ah? It's the transfer student—"

"No way. Sakamaki has him in his grasp—"

"That poor kid. May Kami bless him."

Azusa sighed. _What type of reputation do these people have? It's not like Malfoy's. It's more like..._ There wasn't a word to describe it! They were fearful, greedy, and quiet. Azusa could understand the first two, but _why_ quiet? There was an extent to how much power an individual could have, right? The Sakamaki should've just been elitist teens…right?

The two stopped. Gray eyes immediately found another set of green eyes similar to Laito's; however, they were a shade lighter, narrowed, and filled with confusion.

"Oi, Laito," the green eyed teen began, jerking his thumb at Azusa. "Who the—"

The bespectacled man he had seen earlier intervened on que, pushing his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose. "Language, Ayato." Similar to Ruki, the man looked calm as if this were a daily occurrence. Ayato continued on, but there was no question on whether or not he had heard.

"—heck is this?"

Tilting his fedora away from his eyes, Laito replied, "A classmate of ours. It's cruel of you not to remember, Ayato, especially one of Azusa's caliber~"

He received a confused glance in turn. "Saa, you have my permission to sit down."

 _What am I, a house pet?_

His magic began to stir, but this time was different. He didn't want to cause any harm or attract attention, so as the redhead began to sit down a tendril of magic slowly leaked out of his core and wrapped around the metal chair leg. With a quick jerk of his finger, it slid right out from the Sakamaki's behind. Laito landed with a small thud. Only his quick reflexes and speed stopped him from garnering attention from the others within the lunchroom.

The Mukami covered his grin with a hand while looking away from Laito. Ignoring Ayato's laughter, the pervert brushed off his bum and sat in the chair directly _opposite_ of Azusa. Emerald eyes met stormy ones, and the smile he sent Azusa made the small grin drop from his face instantly.

"How plebeian," murmured the purplenette. Azusa startled staring at the purplenette beside him with shock. _When did he even—? Was he next to me this entire time?_ "Teddy would have more grace than that."

Ayato snorted. "Right. The stuffed bear would have more grace."

The purplenette's face flushed, lilac eyes narrowing with irritation. Only the soft murmuring of the cafeteria kept the atmosphere stable. With Laito being in a bad mood (and those green eyes staring directly at him), nobody was really inclined to speak. With nothing better to do, Azusa reached into his bag and pulled out a random book.

" _Simple Tricks for Simpletons"_

Out of all the books he could have chosen… Even his math text would have sufficed. A chill went down his spine as both his classmates', and the crimson eyed man's eyes landed on it. Their reactions were as different as night and day, yet curiosity remained in both. Laito conveyed his usual amusement with a good dose in intrigue and satisfaction. (Azusa honestly didn't want to know why.) The other's eyes portrayed anger, suspicion, and, oddly enough, jealousy.

"That novel," the latter murmured, pushing up his glasses. "Did someone give it to you as a gift?"

 _Sure, let's go with that._ Azusa nodded.

"Are you planning on becoming a magician?" Ayato questioned.

"No, but the concepts interest me."

" _I'm sure_ ," Laito practically purred, resting his head upon his hand while piercing green eyes bore into his soul. "What type of tricks? Cards, balloons, prank, or…magic? I know a bit of everything, but what do you know?"

Now even the purplenette was interested. "A magician? He doesn't look like one."

The bespectacled man shook his head, opening his book once more after commenting, "Never judge a book by its cover, Kanato."

Azusa took that time to slip the book back into his bag and pulled out his mobile before anyone could question him further.

 **Blonde Devil: Azu has a friend? A friend he'd choose over his brothers?**

 **Ruki: This is a new development.**

 **Brother Bear: ah? Im in his class and didn't notice! The only one he talks to is that damn pervert**

 **Blonde Devil: The Sakamaki? Of course Azusa would ditch us for them but we have to** _ **respect**_ **his decision because we are** _ **brothers**_

 **Me: Laito helped with classwork and wanted me to eat lunch with him**

 **Blonde Devil: I thought we were brothers,** _ **Azu**_

 _Azu_ winced. He'd be lucky if Kou even looked let alone spoke to him today. The blonde could hold grudges like no one else.

 **Ruki: I see. Eat something, Azusa. You haven't eaten breakfast this morning either.**

On cue, his stomach growled. A hint of pink dusted his cheeks. Reaching into the red bucket (that had conveniently been dragged throughout Laito's shenanigans), a heart shaped lolly was pulled out. Azusa stuffed it into his mouth after peeling away the wrapper, savoring the burst of blood and strawberries.

"Oi."

The Mukami looked up. "Did you receive all of those lollies... from girls?"

A few snickers escaped his brother's mouth. "No. I made these... Would you like... to try one?"

Ayato snorted. "Ore-sama only eats candy given to him by girls, but since you look like one he will let it go."

Gray eyes narrowed, the pink darkening into a deep red. "These aren't for people like _you_."

"What the hell did you say, half-blood? Ore-sama demands one _now_."

Azusa shook his head. "Ayato-san could be the Prime Minister of Japan and I still wouldn't give him one."

"I want one," Kanato replied, eagerly looking for a chance to humiliate his brother. Azusa had no serious qualms about giving him one either, so he did, double taking at the instant look of bliss the purplenette expressed. _A sweets fanatic?_ Laito saw this as well, helping himself to one of the sweets.

"It's delicious ~ Ayato, you're missing out."

The redhead grunted, watching Kanato receive a second with no questions asked. The seconds went by and finally _Ore-sama_ managed to briefly murmur out an apology. Any other time he wouldn't even look in the other's direction, but there were still too many suckers. Reluctantly, to the surprise and disappointment of the remaining triplets, Ayato received a sucker.

Just because it was appropriate, he stated, "Happy Valentine's Day."

Azusa wished he hadn't.

"Eh? Ayato-sama has received his first gift!"

"Really Kanato-sama has too! I hope he likes my cookies!"

"Laito-sama took his from Mukami-san! Is this the budding of a relationship?"

"I won't let it happen before I hand Sakamaki-sama their gifts!"

"They can't be gay! It's just disgusting and they couldn't make any heirs."

So being homosexual was frowned on in this world as well? In the muggle world it was severely disapproved of, but with the wizards they didn't care so long as the ones with pureblood status were able to conceive and keep the family bloodline continued (which was easily achieved due to potions).

"Who cares if they do? Shuu-sama is the eldest after all."

Azusa flinched. The bespectacled man closed his book with a sharp _snap_ , his glasses glinting in the moonlight. Standing up from the table, the man strode out of the cafeteria calmly, but the vein bulging across his temple convinced many otherwise. Azusa quickly realized that the older Sakamaki's actions were the best course to take as their lunch table was quickly surrounded by piranhas. He watched from his corner of the table as the triplets gathered the gifts with smiles (or in Laito' s case, grins, winks, and exchanging of phone numbers).

"Ah—excuse me, pardon—s-sorry!"

A light blonde head bobbed in the crowd, sometimes disappearing then reappearing closer to him. Skimming over a few of the others, gray eyes held contact with light pink ones before they disappeared again. There was only one message within them; _help me_. Who was he to resist a damsel in distress?

Using the short burst of anger Ayato had given him due to being called feminine, Azusa pointed his finger at some woman's feet and shot a stinging hex. She yelped, stumbling into some others who crashed to the ground as well. By doing this, the pink eyed lady was able to glide through the sea of piranhas quicker and make her way to the table, a dark red box clutched in her hands. She glanced towards the triplets, hesitated, and then walked over to him instead.

"Ano... _arigatou gozaimashita_!"

Azusa blinked. _What did that mean again?_

"Please accept these as a token of my appreciation, Mukami-san."

 _Ah, so it meant thank you._ "You must be mistaken—"

Her blonde curls shook violently with the denial of his statement. "No, I am not! I mean... I originally wanted to give these to Ayato-kun, but..."

Currently, the redhead was surrounded by giggling women with different sized gifts. He nodded in understanding.

"If you'd like," he began. "I can give these to him. He is in my homeroom class."

An uncharacteristically wan smile flashed at him. "Thank you again, Azusa-kun, but I would like for you to have them. People like Ayato-kun wouldn't take a second glance at my gift, but I have a feeling that you will."

He didn't know how to respond to that. Reluctantly, the Mukami accepted the gift and watched as the woman carefully maneuvered herself through the crowd, disappearing through the wide cafeteria doors. The package itself was light in his hands. Nothing slid around to make clunking noises, no smears or tears on the wrapping paper, and it smelt as heavenly as freshly baked cookies in the oven. No store bought package would smell purely of just chocolate and cream. Other scents would mingle with said aroma, destroying it for good. As the Sakamaki continued to receive gifts, Azusa quietly made his way out, oblivious to the pairs of eyes following trailing him at the exit.

 **Blonde Devil: Azu, we need to talk.**

 _The four words that can doom any relationship._

 **Me: OK**

He wasn't looking forward to it.

"Hm, that's a somber face for such a beautiful day," Laito commented, sliding into the chair beside him.

"My brother is... angry."

"Hm? Which one?"

"Kou. You have five, Laito. How do you resolve problems?"

The redhead hummed in thought. "Well it depends." He leaned his head upon his arm, curious green eyes staring into light gray. "What did you do?"

"I... don't know."

In all honesty, Azusa didn't understand. Why hold a grudge over the Sakamaki if they had everything they had and more?

Laito's expression grew amused. "And Ayato is a ballerina. Everything will work itself out in the end. After all, you _are_ their youngest brother." Green eyes glanced at the box sitting in front of the younger, his nostrils flaring once. "Those smell delicious. Did you receive them from a girl?"

"I didn't know her well," Azusa responded, "but I am grateful she decided to give them to me."

"Mm," Laito hummed, turning away to look at the classroom door. "Is that so?"

* * *

It was later that evening that Kou decided to converse. Hooking their arms together, the older teen dragged the younger to his room and closed the door.

"The Sakamaki are nobody's friend, Azusa. Why don't you understand?"

Gray eyes peered into hetero-chromatic eyes, the left portraying the light and the right illuminating the dark. On one hand, the cerulean blue eye showed Azusa his concern, and it was abundant. It was no secret that the blonde loved money: fine clothes, desserts, and food could easily be bought with it. Who needed to worry about anything if you had money; however, all of them had come from a hard place without it. Regardless of how much was spent upon himself, Kou would always buy them gifts, too. Once in a blue moon did he decide to show how much he cares for him or Yuuma.

The crimson red eye tells a different story. For once, blonde bangs were clipped to the side using a small, peach barrette allowing Azusa to see all of the negativity: hatred, pride, anger, and... jealousy. For what, he didn't know. The hatred in his eye was so intense that Azusa had to look away. It was almost as if the Sakamaki had done something _vile_ or _fatal_ to him, but he would know if such a thing had happened... right? _These emotions must all tie together somewhat, but it just didn't make sense!_ Why the deep hatred? Why the jealousy?

Kou seemed to take him looking away as a sign of nervousness. Azusa could see it in his eyes as pale hands covered his own gently that he wasn't guilty at all. To most, looking into the unnatural red eye was uncomfortable. Kou didn't know that he had seen worse.

"Do you understand? Ruki, Yuuma, and I are the only ones that will care for you dearly. That pervert will bring nothing but pain and sadness. He'll use you for what is necessary, and then ditch you before the pieces can be placed into their correct places."

"I... trust my brothers' judgement," the youngest Mukami murmured, and the expression upon the blonde's face couldn't be any smugger. "But not for this. Laito doesn't have many friends and he looks out for his siblings. I am... the same. We have things in common—"

An ominous crack echoes throughout the room. _Exhale... just breathe... Breathe..._ Although it would fix itself shortly, his hand would still be tender for a while.

"If you trust our judgement, then please stay away from them. They are bad news."

Azusa shook his head in denial. "But—"

"But nothing! He'll use you and toss you away, Azusa, like a pair of worn shoes!"

"Shoes can be polished and fixed. This is what you do to them!"

Whatever Kou was going to say was instantly dropped. The atmosphere darkened. " _Them?_ "

Azusa looked directly at him. "The brides. They were like us in the orphanage: afraid, hopeless, and hurt. Sometimes, you would smile and tell them that everything would be okay only to kill them afterwards... Why? The Sakamaki do the same."

Kou shifted slightly, but nothing else showed his discomfort. "Humans are pigs. They're greedy for money and affection, just like we were back then. We know better now."

"We are stronger than them now. More knowledgeable, faster—"

A chill ran down his spine at the dark laugh erupting from the other. "What? So you're suddenly some goody-two-shoes who now wants to do well in the world? Wake up, Azusa! We're monsters! Blood is our addiction. We crave it like flies to honey. Karlheinz gave us this power for a reason."

"I don't want to be like _them._ "

Kou snorted, releasing the youngest's hands. "Azusa, we aren't weak—"

"Like them... as in the orphanage workers. I don't want to express how I feel to these brides." He rubbed his hand over his bandages, breaking eye contact. "It doesn't... feel right."

Hetero-chromatic eyes widened. "Azusa... You must not be feeling right. I'll get Ruki to—"

"I don't want Ruki or Yuuma!" He shouted, his nails digging further into his skin. Any deeper and blood would start to spill. I just want Kou. Is that okay?"

"What else do you want us—me to do, Azusa? He's never looked down on us like the others. In fact, _that man_... I owe him."

In the end, everything always boiled down to Karlheinz. Ruki and Kou had a sense of obligation and were both elite, but he and Yuuma were poor. Maybe that was why they favored one over the other.

Azusa exhaled softly. "You're already using the life he's given to you. Idols bring hope to people by singing and dancing, right? You always look happy on stage... To fulfill Karlheinz's wishes, do what you want to do."

Kou sighed, running a hand through his blonde locks. "Were you always this good with words, Azusa? I'm sorry to have made you upset... This is a lot to think about. Do you mind if Nii-san takes a while to think?"

 _Nii-san..?_ A small smile beamed back at Kou in response, and Azusa took his leave.

* * *

 **I'll leave the poll up until chapter eight, but here are the results at the moment. Unsurprisingly, the Sakamaki are edging by at the top. Also, I've got to know: pool party or dinner party? This will be just before Yui is officially introduced, meaning I'm diverging from canon a bit.**

All of the Sakamaki: 24

All of the Mukami: 22

Sakamaki, Mukami, and Yui: 14

Laito: 10

Subaru and Yuuma: 8

Ayato, Kino, Yui, Kou, and Shuu: 4

Reiji, Kanato, and Ruki: 2


	8. Hide-and-Seek (1)

**Bookwormy3333 & MonochromeRen: Gotcha covered. Thanks for voting!**

 **Echizen Dyoma: I have you covered, too! That's awesome to find another fan! This may or may not be an anime reference, but my curiosity has been nagging me... Sakamoto as in " _Sakamoto desu ga_ "? Have you seen or read it before?**

 **pinkdog16: Happy 2017 (though some people would disagree, so we shouldn't go into those reasons)! Mine is way delayed considering it's already late February. I'm feeling better, and I hope you are faring well, too.**

 **LunaSunFlowerLily: Have I let you down yet? Thanks for the support!**

 **FANactic Writer: ...Have you met Echizen Dyoma yet? I'm a bit concerned with the sadistic intent towards Azusa, but I'm fairly curious to know what you're thinking in regards to ideas.**

 **Shyannada141: I'm glad you enjoy it. I enjoy writing this story, too, and appreciate your feedback and support. Hopefully I haven't kept you waiting long.**

 **Daku-DarkNess316: You betcha, though that's a bit later. Azusa isn't necessarily a beginner, but his core does need to grow and stabilize itself before he can use such large amounts of magic. It's like deciding to run a 5k marathon without any training. Karlheinz gives him these training books in order to help expand his core... among other things. Also, I'm loving your profile picture. He's amazing.**

 **yaoilover1992-2010: You're right. It will definitely be a challenge to personify all of them, but I'll do my best. That's also why I have a poll.**

 **Recently, I closed the poll! I'm not surprised with the results (though I'm a bit disheartened at the fact that one of my favorites haven't been chosen). For all of the low voted individuals, they'll have a special feature in this round of hide-and-seek before I truly start to focus on the plot and main pairings. Thank you for your support, everyone. There are no words to describe how excited I am, so enjoy this long chapter. Thank you.**

* * *

 **Hide-and-Seek**

Today is Thursday.

Yesterday was Wednesday.

Azusa didn't know how he had forgotten it. Yuuma had been gone for about two hours yesterday, yet Kou had been the only thing on his mind ever since his return home. It didn't really occur to him that anything was amiss until Yuuma himself had told Azusa where he had been (while eating newly bought sugar cubes). Safe to say, the youngest Mukami truly wasn't looking forward to the next day of school.

Time, on the other hand, seemed to be fairly eager to pass by. Thursday had arrived as quickly as summer vacation. Ever so slowly, he got up, dressed, ate breakfast, brushed his teeth, ignored Ruki's stern glance and Kou's contemplation, and headed out to the car. Then, he went back inside the manor as, conveniently, his bag had been forgotten. That delayed them about fifteen seconds. No matter what he did, time would not slow down for him.

"Don't be so tense 'bout it, 'Zusa," Yuuma laughed, clapping him roughly on the shoulder. "That NEET can't deal anything ya can't handle; don't show defeat."

Azusa was too tense to ask what a NEET was, but he made sure to throw in a wavering smile as thanks. _I can deal with psychopathic murderers, death curses, and war, yet a vampire has me trembling? Shuu has nothing on Voldemort or Dumbledore; Yuuma's right._

Those thoughts of self-encouragement lasted until he reached the classroom. Next to the window, three rows from the front of the classroom to the left, the soft glow of moonlight highlighted pale skin. Tousled and illuminated blond hair shined while framing a handsome face. Ryoutei's black overcoat served as a blanket so he couldn't see much more. Although he didn't need it, Azusa could see the slow rise and fall of his chest as the Sakamaki breathed; Shuu almost looked at peace with the world. Azusa would have been too if the classroom was empty, and he wasn't there to punish someone. Then again, Laito, he was sure, and Kanato seemed to amuse themselves with the humiliation of others. Maybe it was a Sakamaki trait.

Yuuma nudged him aside, jolting him from his thoughts. "Hey, the NEET's as harmless as a kitten." That might've been true if it weren't for the fact that the Sakamaki was _still_ a vampire.

Azusa had _another_ problem. In order to get to his seat, he needed to pass by the sleeping beast; his seat was still two rows away. He couldn't take a scenic route. For one, the triplets still sat behind him, and now they were chatting in different sections of the room. Laito took the back, left corner of the room. Ayato took the front (inches from him and Yuuma) and was currently conversing about basketball. Kanato stayed in the back, his head down, whispering to his companion, Teddy.

The Professor would arrive in about three minutes, so Yuuma would act as his shield. The brunette wouldn't voluntarily associate with any of them anyway, so Azusa considered it safe. As more people walked into the class, the Mukami began to walk to their seats.

Blue eyes opened, blinking wearily as Yuuma and Azusa came closer.

Closer… and closer…

The brunette passed by Shuu first, and then the Sakamaki made his move. Stretching his arm out, the blonde reached to grasp ahold of Azusa's arm and tug him into the seat beside him. If it hadn't been for the Mukami's quick thinking, he would've.

As the hand moved closer, the hybrid concentrated his magic for one, clear, determined purpose. Pointing a finger at Shuu, Azusa murmured, " _Confundo_ ," and mentally cheered as the hand stopped centimeters from his wrist. Taking that opportunity, the Mukami slipped by and into the seat next to Yuuma.

From his position two rows away, Azusa could see the blonde shake his head and retract his arm. Another stroke of luck was his first hour teacher, a woman with a no-nonsense personality. She glanced around the room for a quick headcount, taking Shuu into account as well. A brief glimmer of surprise and disbelief flashed by, and it looked as if she would say something, but nothing of the sort came out.

"Alright, take your seats!"

At the end of first hour, Azusa knew without a doubt that the eldest Sakamaki wasn't leaving anytime soon. For transition time between first and second period, he was safe. Laito had preoccupied him and his brother with interrogative questions for the five minutes. As that time came to an end, the redhead walked back to his seat and whipped out his phone. A few seconds later, Azusa's mobile rang.

 **Playful Cat: Shuu doesn't loose**

 **Playful Cat: I'm jealous. You are my mouse :(**

 **Me: I will be fine**

 **Playful Cat: An eye for an eye, a favor for a favor…**

 _Tempting, but I'm not ready to give into lust just yet._ With a small shake of his head, Azusa shoved his mobile back into his pocket as the next professor walked in. Second hour went by quick and with that, a stronger version of the confusion charm was sent; however, Shuu's will must have been greater than his desperation, or he was becoming immune… Neither case was good for the youngest Mukami.

Third hour, Shuu decided that he had had enough and left the classroom. Azusa couldn't say he was surprised; history was one of the most boring lessons around. Taught by a Professor with a lack of emotion and a lot of irrelevant facts meant that time dragged on. It was a good sleep in class—something Yuuma took advantage of. Currently, like half of the class, brown hair, barely held up by a scrunchie, covered his face like a curtain. They would take turns sleeping and taking notes, but the brunette's handwriting was terrible. The tests were hard, so Azusa offered to write more than he slept.

Unfortunately, time didn't decide to slow for this lesson either. What should have felt like hours felt like minutes and before he knew it, class was dismissed. The Sakamaki, from what he could remember, ate in the cafeteria for the majority of the time. The first day attending Ryoutei, Shuu wasn't in the cafeteria during lunch. He was in a quiet hallway. All Azusa had to do was avoid quiet hallways. _Easy enough,_ but when he stood up, another problem occurred.

He had to use the bathroom.

"Yuuma… could—take my bag, please? Bathroom must go," stuttered Azusa, abruptly standing up from his seat and dashing out of the classroom leaving a confused brunette behind.

The closest bathroom was two hallways down from his homeroom. People ranging from teachers to students flooded the hallways making it hard to weave in between. Against his better judgement, the hybrid took a detour through a less cramped hallway and successfully made it to the bathroom with little time to spare.

"Cave inimicum." A soft pulse of light covered the entrance as well as the hallway the bathroom was located in before fading away.

Before entering the stall, Azusa sent a small pulse of magic across a twenty-five mile radius, locating most signatures before tending to his business. He sent one out again before he left his stall and another one before he left the bathroom, and froze. One hallway down to his left was a figure… Their aura wasn't as hot or big, meaning they weren't planning on using their magic and/or it was suppressed. Azusa exhaled slowly as the individual took their time turning the corner, heading straight towards him.

 _What spells do I know; how quick can I perform them?_

He had to be careful. Sending pulses of magic wasn't the smartest idea, but he couldn't think of another one with what short of time he had. The individual striding down the hallway knows somebody with magic is in the bathroom since they also knew where the bathroom was _located_. With his luck, it could only be a few people.

 _I don't know any teleportation spells at the moment, but the ones I could search are in my bag with Yuuma. I could apparate, but it would make a sound and the residue left behind would clue them in. Are they advanced enough to scent magical signatures? I wouldn't put it past them._

A thin trail of sweat trailed down his forehead. Now, the person was outside the bathroom. He could hear their footsteps against the cold tile, each one representing the seconds leading to his demise. _Bloody hell… I'll have an advantage if they can't see me; except, if it's who I think it is, there won't be much time for escape._

In the five seconds before the individual entered the bathroom, Azusa hid behind a stall and sent a wave of magic to lock each and every stall. Next, he turned himself invisible and suppressed his own magic core.

"How tiresome…" Shuu murmured. Mentally, Azusa cursed. "I know you're here, yet you still try to avoid the inevitable. I don't have time to spare on you."

The subtle dig tempted him to speak up, but he wasn't stupid. All of this set-up hadn't been for nothing. Nothing escaped his lips. Shuu let out a long, tired groan.

"I will find you, Mukami, Azusa."

 _You probably will,_ the black haired teen thought, casting a small disillusionment charm on himself. _Just not at this moment. I would like to eat my lunch with my brothers in peace._ Letting out a slow, steady breath, Azusa focused his magic intently so that it spread to each lock. Then with two words, the stall doors unlocked and slammed open.

"Abero, bombarda."

He flew out as soon as the doors opened, flying past a stunned Sakamaki and into the hallway. The disillusionment charm wore off as he turned out of the silent hallway and into the crowd of students still making their way to the cafeteria of classroom. Ignoring the countless looks of confusion or shouts of anger, the Mukami didn't stop until his brothers' classroom was in sight. Slowly, his rushed pace slowed into a brisk walk. After smoothing the wrinkles from his uniform, Azusa opened the door and greeted the occupants with a nonchalant expression.

Yuuma guffawed as soon as he sat down much to his confusion. "You try too hard," he laughed, ruffling his hair.

Ruki sighed. "You cannot escape the inevitable, Azusa. The way things are now, you will only make things worse."

Kou nodded in agreement, holding up a piece of his melon bread for his younger brother to munch on.

The thoroughly chastised male sighed, resting his warm face on the cool desk and closed his eyes. Yuuma only laughed harder.

* * *

Thankfully, electives were next and everyone had to go their selective ways. Unfortunately, physical education was his next elective _without Yuuma_. Fortunately, he knew for a fact (due to the grape vine) that the Sakamaki wouldn't attend because he was lazy. At least, that's what he thought. Another foolish thought was that age and classes were separated; however, Ryoutei Academy's motto didn't allow impediments to growth; therefore, everyone was pitted against each other regardless of class.

When presented with the list of electives, Ruki had immediately signed him off for PE much to his dissatisfaction. The former stated it was an _easy class with no problems of failure_. It was, yet the effort one had to put into it was excruciating, even for a vampire. The coach himself seemed to have an eye for pushing the limit, but even he wasn't immune to the influence of Tougo Sakamaki.

Shuu Sakamaki stood next to the coach, eyes halfway closed, overcoat draped across his shoulders, and body lax. Blue eyes glanced at each and every student until they landed upon Azusa. The hybrid shivered as the other's mouth formed a small smirk.

"This is one of your weakest students, correct?" murmured the blonde with a blunt tone.

"That's right. Kid's as motivated as a sloth."

"How disappointing. As part of Coach Lichtman's orders, I will see to it that this one…reaches the stars."

Gray eyes widened with shock. _This lax vampire who is a rival to my brothers will train me?_ Even the PE coach looked over in disbelief. "Sakamaki—"

Apparently, the blonde had heard enough. He yawned, stuffing his hands into his pockets and walking off the field. "Go after him, Mukami! Your grade depends on him now!"

 _This isn't legal. There_ is _a limit to influence and power…_ or so he thought. While following the pureblood to Kami-knows-where, the only thing on his mind was survival. The Sakamaki were sadistic and influential. At the moment, if Shuu asked him to jump, the only thing he could do is ask how high. His stomach churned violently and if he were any lesser of a being, the result of his nerves would splatter on the ground.

"Relax."

Azusa blinked. "Pardon?"

"Relax. That man wouldn't prepare you correctly for the tournament. You're better with me."

"The Dagger Tournament aside, what about my grade..?"

Shuu shrugged, stopping and shifting so he could see the younger boy. "Win the tournament for Ryoutei. I couldn't care less what you do as long as it doesn't bother me."

"Then I'll go back—"

"I said you're better with me."

Gray eyes met a striking blue and it took a great deal of self-control to not flinch and start running in the other direction. Behind the laziness and apathy prowled a predator that would stop at nothing to get his way. There was no doubt in his mind that if the eldest Sakamaki was provoked, nothing would stand in his way. The possessiveness underlying the statement unnerved him more than it should have.

Just what was Shuu Sakamaki?

* * *

Shuu Sakamaki was a sadist from hell.

Not even an hour later, sweat was pouring from his face like water flowed down a waterfall. Even worse was the fact that the _small training regimen_ , as the demon liked to call it, was halfway through. Vampire strength be damned, Azusa was out of shape. The blonde could see it as well as hear it, but judging from his nonchalant expression, nothing would be done. As it stood, the younger male was just about ready to pass out.

"It's pathetic watching you," the Sakamaki murmured with a yawn as the bell rang. "Your brother, from what I can remember, can do tenfold."

"It's good you have such praise… for my brother."

He seemed to realize his mistake instantly, yet shrugged it off with a nonchalant expression. "See you later, Mukami."

Azusa didn't know how close "later" would be. It didn't mean when next hour, nor did it mean dismissal time at the gates. Instead, "later" meant the evening time. Specifically around two hours from breakfast as the sun pondered on rising above the trees. Ruki wasn't as surprised as the rest when the Sakamaki arrived on their doorstep, but was fairly unpleased. As an order from Karlheinz himself, they were to get better acquainted with one another since they were…family. The sketchiness of the situation wasn't lost on anyone.

"That's a children's game," Kou huffed, yet the small quirk of his lips convinced the room's occupants that the blonde would be a willing occupant.

Yuuma snorted, running a hand through tamed brown strands. "What are you, six? If we're going to be playing some kiddie game, there better be a damn prize."

Everyone perked up at this. Even Shuu, with a head propped upon his hand, opened a cerulean blue eye conveying his focus. The redheads smirked, green eyes alit with a competitive spark. Ayato in particular felt the need to win strongly—there was no way he would lose to a pack of simpletons!

"Then let's make this interesting," Laito purred.

"Oi!" Ayato snarled, slamming his fists on to the table. Thankfully, to a certain bespectacled teen's relief, there were no dents. "Why does Laito get to make the arrangements?!"

From the corner of the room, the youngest Sakamaki snorted, crimson eyes portraying a large amount of irritation. "For all we know, that pervert could make the losers strip tease and the winners watch. I agree with the narcissist; Shuu or Reiji decide."

Reiji asserted his opinion then, a small smirk upon his face. He suggested that the families have a small discussion before the game to collaborate on a prize. The game would last for an hour before breakfast was served. Though the Sakamaki had more people, the Mukami would be playing within their own turf therefore having a slight advantage over the six. Both the Mukami and Sakamaki nodded in agreement. Now two questions remained: who would be the mouse, and what was the winner's prize?

* * *

"I don't want anything from those bastards," the brunette murmured as soon as the door to their library closed. Ruki settled onto a chair behind the desk, the soft glow of moonlight illuminating his predatory glance.

"That will not do. The Sakamaki may not have any physical possessions of use to us, but their dignity is also on the line."

Kou chuckled, taking a seat next to his quiet brother on the couch. "I want to see them suffer."

Azusa shot a glance at the blonde, weary. In response, a bright smile formed across the idol's face. "Azusa doesn't seem to like that idea."

"Azu has been becoming chummy with the NEET and that damn pervert," Yuuma sneered, crossing his arms while leaning against a wall. "Of course he'd oppose."

"Because I don't see the worth of jealousy toward them," the youngest murmured, and the smile dropped from the blonde's face.

"Jealous of the Sakamaki?" Ruki murmured to himself, a soft chuckle echoing throughout the library. "How preposterous."

Kou leaned forward, grasping his younger brother's chin and pulling him closer so that their noses almost touched. From up close, Azusa could see the vivid red eye pulsing in anger at his accusation, but couldn't bring himself to apologize for it. The sooner they were able to rid of their jealousy, the sooner they would move on. As if sensing his brother's adamant denial, Kou's grip tightened.

"I will never, ever be _envious_ of the Sakamaki. We have the money to hire servants and buy the latest fashion trends of any brand from sports to clothing. Our looks rival the handsomest of models anywhere! Our bonds toward one another are stronger than any of the crumbling links those purebloods have which is why we're stronger—!"

"This is why you're jealous of them. No matter how much _that man_ pampers us with money and presents, we will never be his true sons. We will never have as much influence, power, or love that the Sakamaki are entitled to."

"I thought…" Kou growled, "That after our little talk you had understood what I was trying to say. Why you go out of your way to defend _them_ is—"

Quicker than he could comprehend, the idol was thrown off of him and his cheek throbbed angrily. Gray eyes widened, glancing toward his left to see the stern, disapproving eyes of his eldest brother glaring back at him. _Had Ruki slapped him? What had he done wrong?_ Kou seemed to be in a similar state of surprise though there was no red mark or swelling marring the teen's face.

"We have guests in the manor." Ruki's tone was unapologetic and firm, confirming his disappointment of their actions. "In the time that they remain here, we will act as unified as possible so they cannot prod and create more holes than before. This is the last act of impudence tonight, Kou, Azusa. Do I make myself clear?"

The former looked as if he were going to say something, but the thunderous look upon Ruki's face halted any attempt. Despite all the drama, Azusa hoped to no end that his magic would heal the red mark before their encounter with the infamous guests. _Ruki is madder at me than him? Is that why he hit me?_

"I propose that we make a decision quickly. Yuuma, do you have any thoughts?"

"If Azusa wants to protect them it's his own business, but I won't accept that hands down. I want those bastards—especially the NEET—to leave him be. Azusa is ours."

The warning bells in his head rang with such clarity that it was hard to deny the trouble he had intentionally stirred…again. With a sharp gulp, the youngest vampire snuggled further into the couch in an attempt to hide his presence from the three dangerous figures eyeing him like a lion eyed fresh steak. They didn't think he was prey, which was a fact.

"They're going to ask about him and we can't refuse, Ruki."

"It's inevitable, but our pride is also on the line so us winning is as easy as feeding especially when it comes to family."

Family… If he were considered to be family, then why did that word usually spoken with endearment and love uttered in such a cold tone?

* * *

When they reentered the living room, the Sakamaki were awaiting them with nonchalant eyes. If Azusa didn't know any better, the conversation held in the library wasn't as secret as they had hoped; however, large sums of money were invested within the interior of the manor in order for most rooms to be soundproofed. Karlheinz was thorough and efficient when it came down to it.

Azusa returned to his normal spot on the floor to the side of the round table. What he didn't expect was another blonde, of no relation to him, to be lying in a rather relaxed position upon the couch behind him. Warm breath caressed the back of his neck, the goosebumps standing to attention. Aware of the eyes burning into his head, Azusa scooted to the side to avoid Shuu's gaze and stare straight ahead.

Reiji and Ruki were the ones left standing as everyone seated themselves in random places within the room. Subaru, arms crossed, stood in a corner next to the window making the shadows more prominent. Red eyes had closed blocking any attempt at reading his true perspective toward the situation, yet his posture was stiff. The second Sakamaki was more relaxed, but Azusa could tell the man didn't care much for what was about to transpire. Laito on the other hand was the complete opposite. Emerald eyes portraying pure mischief hadn't left his figure from the moment he had entered the room. Azusa restrained the urge to shudder as his classmate licked his lips when seeing the (or what he hoped to be) faded bruise upon his cheek. Ayato seemed to be a mix of Reiji and Laito. Though green eyes thirsted for victory, his posture was relaxed as if he knew the outcome already.

When gray eyes met lilac purple, the latter tilted his head to the side and tugged the bear closer to him. That bear sent chills down his spine. Such a maleficent aura from a _stuffed animal_ no less spoke of dormant curses and omens. Azusa waited for the time when everything went to hell; Kanato, he didn't think, had the capacity to hold it together. Shuu wasn't an open book. If Azusa were to be honest with himself, there was no way to entirely predict what the eldest Sakamaki was thinking. It was infuriating, but dwelling on the fact would only get him in trouble.

"Then we have an agreement." Ruki shook Reiji's hand, and then the two separated as quickly as they shook hands.

He cleared his throat. "Who's the mouse, and how is he captured?"

"The mouse is captured by claim. If the predator marks him with his fangs and drinks his blood, we'll know. As for the identity of the mouse, that is what this hat is for."

From the shadows, an aging man that reeked of dry blood and fire appeared and held up a light, brown bowl. Inside were ten small, folded pieces of paper. Azusa could only guess what each paper contained. Long, slim fingers painstakingly grasped the edge of a piece of paper and pulled it out. Azusa bet ten to one that the glint of amusement in Reiji's cold eyes was due to his now troublesome predicament.

"Azusa can't let his family find him for at least forty-five minutes," the Sakamaki intoned. "During the first fifteen minutes, Ayato, Shuu and I will start searching for the mouse. After those fifteen minutes are up, the rest are welcome to join in. If you manage to find your brother before us, your proposal will be granted. If we find him before you, it's our victory."

Yuuma snarled, crossing his arms over his chest like Subaru. "And what happens if Azusa is found and the bastard that caught him decides to get frisky."

It was obvious who the brunette was referring to. To his credit, the redhead only looked amused. "I wouldn't do anything more than you would, Yuuma-kun."

"Damn baka-ero."

This time, it was Reiji's turn to clear his throat. "If any of these rules are violated, or if Laito gets too sexually aroused, the other party wins. For example, if Laito attempts to kiss the mouse, Mukami win instantly. Once the game starts, only the time limit of sixty minutes can end it. No time outs."

The atmosphere darkened tenfold. Behind him, he could feel Shuu tense and begin to sit up, legs dangling far too close to his head for comfort.

"Azusa." Gray eyes looked into the dark eyes of his eldest brother. "Use _it_ , just don't get caught."

The youngest nodded in confirmation, and then the game started.


	9. Hide-and-Seek (2)

**Counterpartshipping Queen: Your user is unique, too. Thanks, and I hope this doesn't disappoint.**

 **toomanyshipsss: Your vote has been accounted for. To be completely honest with you, the Mukami's bond, though I love it, can go either way at this point. I'm leaning towards a positive ending because I would love to write over protective and possessive behavior, but that can't happen unless some secrets are spilled. According to the crowd, Subaru isn't going to be a main fixture in this harem, so I'm glad it'll be different. I like differing.**

 **I Growl For Fun: I hope you like this chapter then! Thanks for staying with me.**

 **FANactic Writer: Ho... I look forward to your sadism then in later chapters. Thanks for your support!**

 **LunaSunFlowerLily: Your intuition is good, haha. This is Reiji we're talking about though.**

 **pinkdog16: Surprise (though negative)! Laito is an absolute favorite, King of Perverts or not. He's so persistent and odd..it's endearing, in a sense.**

 **sousie: I'm not sure what to say to that, haha. I don't know what I would do in Azusa's situation.**

 **NaruNaruru: It's repetitive and catchy, so I like it. Thank you for the compliment~ I want a season two of Sakamoto so bad! It has to air during the school season so I can laugh and relieve stress. Your laughs can relate to so many characters that I can't put all of them here in fear of racking up the word count. "Kufufu" reminds me of Mukuro from KHR. Have you heard of it?**

 **Zavanna: You are bold! Thank you! When does Laito ever follow the rules? Please enjoy this chapter!**

 **EntertainMe: Two months wasn't too much of a wait, was it? It sounds like this fanfic has entertained you quite a bit, haha. I love the enthusiasm. Hopefully this meets your expectations.**

 **OKAY! A fair amount of you are going to dislike me after this chapter. I want to hear about it in the reviews or PM so I can fuel myself for the next chapter! Sorry for the four month wait, and thanks to everyone (new and old) who have stuck with this fan fiction. I appreciate you, so please enjoy!**

 **WARNING: There is sexual content! Not much, but some because...Laito, as well as violence, but that's the usual.**

 **Hide and Seek**

The thrill of the hunt wasn't lost on anyone in the room. The way their eyes scanned the room, glancing over to survey the competition before focusing once more on the prize said enough. He snickered quietly to himself (though Subaru merely gave him a disgusted glance) at the disgusted expression on the bear; since when did he ever follow the rules? Of course, it didn't help that the prize was a highly delectable delight. If what Reiji had proposed was true, the minute his eyes landed on him, the little mouse was done.

To his amusement, Azusa vanished the minute the hunt began.

"—and the Mukami have a ten-minute delay after the fifteen-minute start," Reiji intervened. At once, identical smirks began to climb upon both his and Ayato's face (and Shuu's, much to his surprise) before leaving the second eldest to deal with the drama.

 _I know the house, I know some of the occupants, but I don't know who they are. Where would I hide first? What would I do?  
_

The possibilities were endless but there was only so much time in this game. _The early bird may find the worm, but good things come to those who wait._ He could force the mouse out of his corner or have the others do the work for him before taking the treasure. Now _that_ sounded perfect.

* * *

Kou spared Laito a quick sneer as Azusa disappeared. It infuriated him at how this scum thought that they had a chance at winning in _their_ manor, _their_ territory, _his youngest brother_. Now wasn't that funny? The Sakamaki would never understand the bonds the four of them shared, and in turn, would lose because of Azusa's loyalty to them. All he had to do was find him. Yet, for some reason, he couldn't shake off a feeling of dread. Slightly paranoid, the idol took another glance at his competitors….then it hit him.

Yuuma's eyes were full of horror. Not the horror of a traumatic experience, but of a feeling of utmost loathing. He whipped around to Ruki, whose eyes were narrow in what looked to be disgust.

The megane pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose practically radiating an aura of superiority and arrogance. "You will already have an easy time since this is your family manor. I am simply making it even for most of our players."

No…he had done _much_ worse. Azusa had never been informed of the rule, and there was little doubt in his mind that the Sakamaki would spill. Even if one of the rules were not to let them find him, the goal of the game was to mark the prize. It was also only a matter of time before Laito broke his end of the deal. If Azusa didn't see them or sense their presence…who knows what would happen to his perseverance. He may even be baited to look for them, straight into the Sakamaki's trap.

There was another thing bothering him. Shuu, Ayato _and_ the megane were supposed to have left, yet the latter was still here which means…someone had left in his place. Kou glanced around the quickly; the sweets fanatic, Subaru, and megane were there…Laito was gone.

Angry and frustrated, the blonde took a deep breath and released it slowly. There was nothing they could do but wait. There would be no real purpose playing except to keep Azusa safe by taking out anyone necessary. He could hardly wait.

* * *

Azusa knew the manor like he knew the back of his hand. Rather, the manor knew him like a captain knew their ship. The hours spent trying to conjure magic, monitor his brothers, and infusing the manor with magic was time well-spent. Those were the two advantages he had. The heightened senses were useful, but everyone within the game had them, so it wasn't even worth mentioning.

He only had trackers on three of the six Sakamaki: Ayato, Kanato, and Laito. The latter two hadn't left yet which was good so long as he could find a good place to hide; however, sending a quick pulse of magic throughout the manor concluded different results. Laito wasn't where he was supposed to be!

In fact, Ayato was dangerously close to his current location. Muttering a curse, Azusa scrambled out of the little alcove by the stairs, covering himself with a disillusionment charm while grabbing the stair railing to hoist himself up just as the redhead appeared below. From his position, he could see green eyes scanning the hallway, the usual arrogant smirk upon his face.

Opposite of Ayato was a door to the supply closet. Pointing a finger at it, the door unlocked itself. Gray eyes widened in surprise before narrowing in delight. Thinking it was him who had 'locked' the door, the Sakamaki twisted the door forcibly and stepped inside only for the door to slam shut and lock itself. There was a variety of curses thrown into the open, but Azusa couldn't relish in victory. The sound of laughter forced him to look for a new hiding place.

Heading further upstairs led him to the attic, somewhere he had never really been before. _It's not as dusty or cold as I thought it would be_ … Locking the door behind him, the prey went to explore the small space. There were mattresses, bed frames, and sofa cushions scattered _everywhere_. Closer to the back were comforters and blankets along with pillows and pillowcases. One of them had a pretty design of blue birds facing towards and away from each other with blue ribbons lining the edges. He reached down to remove it from the floor to reveal a single, blue eye staring straight at him.

"Shit."

He didn't even have a chance to stumble away as a pale hand shot up and grasped his arm, tugging him down upon the cold body.

"Did you really think you could get away from me that easily?" Shuu murmured into his ear.

"I should've known you would be in with the beds. You're a sloth," Azusa replied, attempting to break free of his grip.

If anything, it seemed to amuse him. "You managed to capture Ayato easily." A husky chuckle echoed throughout the room as fangs traced his pulse. "I'm not as simple."

He _had_ to get these fangs away from his neck. Sending a quick prayer to any higher being that would listen, stopped struggling and managed to free an arm from Shuu's tight grasp, pushing himself down in the vampire's grasp and closing his mouth over the others in a desperate kiss. The blonde froze, his body going stiff much to Azusa's delight. Using the situation to his advantage, he pulled his knee back and jammed it into the Shuu's crotch.

Azusa immediately jumped out of his hold as their lips separated, sprinting towards the attic and leaping out the door with a locking spell on the door as caution. His mouth felt warm and tingly when he touched it, and a shiver racked down his spine. If this is what he'd have to do to escape, Azusa might as well surrender now. Casting a quick _tempus_ revealed that it had only been ten minutes since the start of the game. He had yet to see Laito, but a spellcheck had revealed he was far from his location.

Since the attic wasn't safe anymore, the next dark place was the basement. Now this was a place he went commonly simply because it was quiet. The cold didn't bother him either. Another _tempus_ marked the fifteen-minute period end. Now it was a full-blown war.

Interestingly enough, by the time his feet touched the ground, the door leading to the basement slammed open. Azusa scrambled away from the staircase, his footsteps light as he made his way into a dark corner.

"Che, damn Reiji. What kind of prize is that scrawny guy anyway?"

That was Subaru. No one else (aside from Yuuma) cursed that much.

"I'm not playing this game with him. It's pointless."

Perfect.

"Then you wouldn't mind finding another place to stay, Subaru-kun?"

Azusa bit his tongue in shock. Where did he come from?!

"Ah? What are you talking about, Laito? I found this place, so I keep it."

"Oh, but my prey is in here," Laito purred with an amused tone, "And if Reiji were to see you in here, he would believe you were playing the game as well~."

Subaru's eyes narrowed and his fists clenched, feline eyes trained on the snake. Azusa knew it was a trap, and Subaru probably knew it too, but which would take more significance: pride or possessiveness? In the end, it was the former. Subaru stormed upstairs leaving the Mukami to his fate.

Without giving it another thought, Azusa sprinted out of his little corner and into a cell, slamming the door behind him.

"Aw, did you want it to be a private moment? How thoughtful~."

Azusa blanched at the predatory on the redhead's face as he took a step closer from _inside the cage_. "How are you that fast?"

"It's in my genes. After all, I have a lot of superiority in my DNA."

From the leer on his face, Azusa guessed there was a double meaning to that statement. He grimaced, quickly moving opposite of the redhead. They stood still for a few seconds before a quick paced game of cat-and-mouse occurred. Azusa swallowed a mouthful of air and reeled back from the hand inches from his shirt. For a moment, his balance was compromised and Laito swiped his legs from underneath him so they both fell on to the ground with the redhead on top, and Azusa on the bottom.

He tried to enact the same maneuver as he had with Shuu, but Laito responded with more passion, drowning him in a wave of lust. Their teeth clashed in the most passionate kiss he had ever experienced as the other's erection ground against his, eliciting a long moan from the back of his throat. Unconsciously his hands grasped the furry jacket pulling the vampire closer as one hand ran through messy black hair and the other trailed down, painfully slow, towards his arousal as his tongue battled his own for dominance.

 _What are you doing?_

What…was he doing?

 _Pleasured by the enemy? Really? Have you no shame?_

He cried out, thrusting his hips into the hand before his moans were devoured once more.

 _What would your brothers say, hm? They've already told you the pervert was a bad influence, and look where you are now._

It felt so good! Nobody truly would understand how this felt! No one…

 _So? Get your head out of your ass and focus on the game before he marks you, otherwise you'll be alone_ again _._

That was the trigger.

With a scream, a wave of magic propelled Laito into the wall, a sick crack echoing throughout the cell. Azusa panted, the stars fading from his vision immediately. The cell wall opened with a groan, prompting him to struggle and get up to exit. At least, that's what should have happened. His trembling legs collapsed as his arms stiffened. He fell to the ground at once.

"…What?"

"It seems as though Laito has his uses after all," a soft voice stated from above. Gray eyes immediately met crimson, and just about every alarm blared loudly in his head.

"Did you…drug me?"

"Indeed. I am surprised you are able to speak, however."

Azusa gave Reiji a flat stare. He felt dirty and corrupted, and if this potion didn't wear off in the next minute or so, there would be hell to pay.

"If…I tell you where I have…retrieved the books…will you leave me be?"

An eyebrow was raised. "And this is your attempt at bartering, Mukami Azusa?"

"Yes."

"I already know where the books come from," the second son hissed, "I want to know why _he_ gave them to you."

The atmosphere grew colder as the potion's effect grew less effective. "Why…? I suppose he liked me…better."

Reiji's eyes narrowed into slits. "When I have you in my possession, I will force you to answer what I desire. If you refuse once more, I will end this childish game now."

He could move his fingers, and his arms had feeling to them once more. A soft groan to his right signaled Laito's recovery. He had to hurry. "I guess you could say…it's magic."

His head was slammed to the ground, and then into the bars of the cell. "Enough of this!" Gray eyes slowly opened as his body was lifted from the ground. His fingers twitched, curled into a fist, and slammed into the vampire's jaw. Surprised, Reiji's grip loosened as Azusa practically limped out of the cell and shut it once again.

Emerald green eyes watched him from the other side, waving with a small smirk tauntingly. Reiji was knocked out, much to his surprise. Without a glance backwards, Azusa painstakingly started his ascent upstairs. He made his way to the main floor and stopped at the closest bathroom. His clothes were rumpled, hair more of a mess than normal, lips swollen and cherry red…

 _You look like shit._

That was the best way to sum it up.

With a grimace, he cast _tempus_ again. There were ten minutes left on the clock until dinner. It would take around four to clean up which sounded fine, so that's what he did. Azusa only felt marginally better afterwards, but his brothers were around somewhere and the only other Sakamaki he had to worry about was the other triplet (who honestly shouldn't have been a problem).

At some point in time, his disillusionment spell had worn off. With a tired sigh, he cast it again and left for the kitchen only to pause at the sight.

"Something smells sweet," the purplenette—Kanato, if he remembered correctly —stated and it would be a lie to say that Azusa wasn't scared out of his wits. After a close encounter with Shuu, and an even closer one with Laito, he really didn't need to be caught with Kanato five minutes before the end game.

"Ne, Teddy…trash shouldn't smell sweet, should it? It makes me cringe it's so disgustingly sweet! I just want to rid of it, yet keep it as my own. Where is it?"

The door was directly next to the kid with a deranged smile. His exit was within five feet, but the way lilac purple eyes scanned the room made him rethink the seemingly easy escape. Azusa shifted anxiously glancing to the door and back to the way he came in. The decision, however, was made for him when a silver and pointed object soared through the air, embedding itself in the wall. Azusa was forced to dodge the arm shooting out in an attempt to grasp something—anything—revealing the Mukami's existence.

"You can't escape me," the Sakamaki giggled, ripping the utensil from the wall. Azusa's breath hitched as the male's giggle turned into hysterical laughter. No doubt this would alert the others of his location. He needed to get out now! With a sudden burst of speed, Azusa made one final attempt to make it out of the hallway. When the fork was thrown again, his magic deflected it back at the purplenette. Unfortunately, the Sakamaki was prepared and had thrown _another_ utensil at him. Not expecting it, the Mukami cursed as the utensil pierced his leg. The magic surrounding him dispersed instantly at the lack of concentration, much to Kanato's delight, and the target fell and hit the floor with a thump.

At least, that's what would have happened if somebody hadn't caught him. Strong arms drew him into a broad chest and before he knew it, fangs had punctured his skin. "End game," they murmured, and everything went black.


	10. Prison, Psychopaths, and Claims

**Shyannada141: Maybe...maybe not. Don't you love cliffhangers?**

 **NaruNaruru: HIIEEE! Six months later and I finally get motivated enough to give you the ending to Hide-and-Seek! Please don't use Leon! That's my best impression of Tsuna; anything more may sound just a bit weird. I completely agree with you about Sakamoto though. What I'm (currently) looking forward to is Boku No Hero Academia season three. Have you heard of the multitude of anime coming out this year? It's going to be so wicked!**

 **As for your question... Since I'm guilty, I tried to incorporate as much of the new characters as possible. I wanted to get some of Azusa's training in, but the plot controlled my fingers and, before I knew it, I had already typed three thousand words. The chapter itself-without this commentary-is four thousand six hundred and sixty words. Tell me what you think, alright?**

 **belle hawk: You're right; however, you can't disqualify a person without evidence, yeah? If somebody hadn't managed to grab Azusa before the game ended, the Sakamaki most likely would have been disqualified. Nice catch.**

 **pinkdog16: I apologize for letting you down. I have no idea whether or not I wrote the moment with Shuu and Azusa properly, but I am super proud of that chapter. The underhanded tactics made it much more realistic to me. I'm going to assume that you enjoyed them, haha. Correct me if I'm wrong though. Your comment is just very passionate. (As a side note, Reiji is my favorite character in Diabolik Lovers.)**

 **sousie: I know exactly how you feel...yet I do it anyway. Does that make me a bad person? Ha, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter~**

 **Guest Ichiban: Thank you! Your answer is finally revealed now! Thank you for your support!**

 **FANactic Writer: Exactly~ Please be my narrator from now on.**

 **Guest Niban: Yes sir/ma'am! Thaks you for your support!**

 **carmenotaku98: *Upgrade complete* Thank you for your patience~**

 **MylaUchiha: Thanks! Uchiha as in Sasuke and Itachi, yeah? But nope, *spoiler alert*, it definitely wasn't him.**

 **Akerthy: Heya Akerthy. I like your profile pic.**

 **Guest Sanban: Thank you! That honestly means a lot! I hope to continue living up to your expectations.**

* * *

 **Hullo readers, both new and old! Happy (Belated) New Years! Welcome to the Year of Change, as I have heard many refer to 2018 as. I, for one, am both looking forward to, and not anticipating these new changes. Once again, I severely apologize for the lack of effort on my part. Today's excuse stems from my lack of motivation from August to November. I was planning on updating July for a certain person's birthday...but we got hit by hurricanes, my home was destroyed, and I was honestly trying to help fix everything at once. That, and every time I set a date, it's postponed someway somehow. I'm really excited to bring this chapter to all of you today, or whenever you guys can read this. I hope that my readers with seniority weren't too distraught with the large interval of time. This is why reviews are really, seriously helpful. I love reading them and gaining feedback: whether it be "update please" or a full paragraph on how this fanfic could use work. I'm up for it! I'm really starting to understand why author's love feedback now.,**

 **For the people that participated, do you remember the poll taken around chapter eight? You guys chose this ending with your votes, and I simply made it a reality. Now I would like your help once more. What do you want to see? What do you want to know? What can I help clarify? This is a loaded question, but literally, tell me everything. I'm planning something seriously...kinky, you could say, on Valentine's Day, so I need one more chapter beforehand. This chapter generated twelve reviews! That's insane! I'm so thankful of each and every one of you, so consider this chapter and the next to be a present from me to you. You all have made this happen.**

 **Let's continue (start?) this year on a good note, yeah? Thank you all for sticking with me, and I hope the newcomers will also enjoy my story. Without further adieu...**

* * *

 **Prison, Psychopaths, and Claims**

He awoke to the sound of soft tapping.

Regardless of heightened vision, nothing but black could be seen. It was completely discerning how dark it was wherever he was located. The ice-cold floor bit at his pale skin as the jagged edges of stone further dug into his back. Upon pressing his ear to the ground, the tapping grew louder only helping strengthen his belief that the noise came from the various bugs and insects within the place. Azusa groaned, planting his feet on the wall to help push him into a seating position. However, as soon as his back touched the wall, he felt even weaker than before! Immediately, the youngest Mukami hurled himself forward into the center of the room. The only thing that could suck any sort of energy from a person, whether in direct perimeter or not, were runes. Whoever had placed him here knew about his magic, and that put him on guard instantly despite his weakened state.

There was a limited amount of people that knew about it…or so he thought. Both his family, the Sakamaki, and Karlheinz knew. He hadn't seen the latter in months, and the former two were always in his vicinity no matter what. Especially, now that he could recall, with the game of hide-and-seek. Somebody with a deep and familiar voice had caught him off guard…but he couldn't remember that voice! Could there have been anyone else that noticed? Besides the students of Ryoutei Academy…no one. Upon escaping and/or being released from this prison, he would investigate the matter further.

But for now,

he was really…

 _Really…_

Tired…

* * *

Once more, he awoke to the sound of soft tapping.

Were the bugs even more active than…yesterday? Two days ago? What day is it today? What's the time? Has the sun rose to embrace the world in its warm rays, or enveloped the moon in its rays to brighten the other side? He truly didn't know, yet it didn't matter right now.

Before even opening his eyes, Azusa coiled his magic tightly within his core, making sure that the strands attempting to lash out were little to none. Careful not to touch the rune-infested walls, he propped himself up into a sitting position to survey the area around him. What caught his attention almost instantly was the soft blue illuminating the space underneath what he thought to be the door. Oddly enough, the only thing not warded was the door. Even the corners of the floor have different runes that he couldn't interpret. His eyes narrowed. The symbols engraved on the walls were far enough, so he could attempt to blast open the door and still have energy remaining. There were two problems with this:

He didn't know what the runes in the corners read, nor did he know who or what was outside. Ruki had always said to deal with one problem at a time, so that's what he would do. Taking a stray pebble from the floor, Azusa tossed it at the corner to his left behind him. The pebble shriveled into nothing while the rune pulsed a light blue. _Well then…I guess I know what those runes do now. Why are they located in the corners of the room?_

Carefully, Azusa walked up to the solid door, placing both hands upon it. With a grunt, he directed his magic into the door and whispered a single word, "Aberto." A heavy clink resounded in the dark room as the heavy door shuttered open. Behind him, each of the runes pulsed a light blue, signaling activation. Eyes wide, Azusa recoiled his magic as the magic drainers became stronger. The obliterators pulsed rapidly, starting to disintegrate the stone walls of the prison slowly.

The tapping stopped.

"I died because of you," a surly voice accused, and Azusa whipped around, surprise evident.

Sitting casually in the cell opposite his own was a male probably around his age, and just as pale. His attire was clean and looked to have cost a lot. Though their hairstyles were similar, Azusa noticed that the other vampire's hair was less messy than his own. Furthermore, the boy wasn't entirely marred with different scars upon his face, nor did he have the same eye color. In fact, said amber eyes that looked so familiar currently glared at him like he was the bane of their existence. That gaze certainly snapped him out of it. In response, Azusa simply rose an eyebrow. That only made them angrier.

"Yeah, that means _you_ , peasant." In their hands, he waved around a mobile device. Azusa blinked, quickly searching his body for his own cell phone, to no avail. "This level took me ages to finish, and now—!"

"Shush," the youngest Mukami murmured, considering the now halfway deteriorated cell. Did the size of the ruins affect the rate of function? If so, he thanked the writer's lack of insight…or maybe this was all a plan either way. "Can you escape by yourself?"

The dark look increased ten-fold. "Did you just tell me to quiet and doubt my abilities? You truly do have a death wish. I will make sure to punish thee accordingly as soon as I break from this cell."

"…That is a no," Azusa answered with a sigh.

"I don't need a vampire's help," the boy responded with a scowl, returning to his game.

"This place…will be destroyed within the hour…"

"Correct. You're the one that triggered those runes in the first place, right?" Amber eyes full of curiosity glanced up from the screen. "You can use magic like the King of Leeches."

 _King of Leeches… He knows of Karlheinz?_

"Why do you insult your own race?"

If possible, the scowl grew fiercer. "I don't have to say anything to you. As soon as Yuri releases me, I will hunt you down and kill you myself."

 _Right…_ With a sigh, the Mukami sat down in front of the cell, leaning against the metal bars as the disintegration continued. The malice in the boy's eyes reminded him of his brothers' hatred of the orphanage, and that was something he couldn't ignore. With a sigh, the vampire made himself comfortable, ignoring the irritated gaze burning into his skull.

"Why are you still here?"

"Isn't…it obvious?"

The glare lessened in intensity. "I asked you a question and expect an answer."

 _He may be even more arrogant than Ayato…and that's saying something_. A slight shift in the air was the only warning he received as he leaned forward to dodge the attack aimed at his neck.

"Next time I won't miss." The arm retreated through the bars to their side once more.

"Next time you won't be able to move," Azusa retorted, his magic stirring at the sign of danger. He turned to face his opponent who stared back with something akin to interest.

By now, the only thing left of the cell was the doorway. Glancing around, he could see identical runes carved into various sections of the hallway. Things were about to start declining quickly and nobody seemed to be coming for the arrogant vampire.

"When will Yuri come for you?"

Silence. Azusa came to a revelation.

"You don't know."

"My servants have never failed me before," he snapped.

The door had fallen off its disintegrated hinges.

"Two minutes. If…this person hasn't arrived by then…I will free you from this."

"Don't bother." With a hiss of pain, the vampire decked in red kicked open the door. "I've seen all that I need to. You were able to not only break out of the cell but also defy my orders. To top it all off, you _stayed_ here with me! Ha, what kind of trash-bag does that? You know, I've met with the man everyone calls King of Vampires. He _gave_ you to me! I just wanted to test how much I had to break for you to become submissive to me!"

He couldn't move. Within moments of opening the cell, cold hands had bound his hands behind his back. When he attempted to kick back, the person slammed him to the ground, disorienting him enough to cause ringing in his head. Azusa understood the warning.

"Just in time, Yuri," the boy purred, sounding suspiciously like Laito. "And you brought _it_."

"Of course, Kino."

"So, let's make some things clear, _A~zu~sa_. I want your power; I want to know why my father would train someone like you, of all people. Most of all…I want to know what makes you, you."

There was a moment of silence to let the information sink in before the boy—Kino—cupped his chin, forcing gray to meet copper. "You don't feel like any other vampire, so tell me what makes you tick."

"You should have put carved a rune on the door," Azusa murmured. "I hate when…people insult friends and family…and idiots. _Bombarda_."

The grasp on his arms loosened enough by the small blast between him and his castor for him to wrestle free. Kino cursed, slamming the smaller boy back on to the ground while scooping up a metal item from the ground. Quickly, the item was clasped upon a heavily scarred neck. Azusa staggered at the sudden move but continued to avoid their grasp. Finally, the cell where he used to be held ceased to exist, activating the sequence of symbols carved into the hallway. Due to the size of the runes, the disintegration was faster. One of the ways to escape was a flight of stairs located at the end of the hall…or more like the beginning, but since the three (including what he thought to be Yuri) was at one end, it may have been the front.

Truly, it didn't matter. Stairs are the goal.

Casting a quick disillusionment charm upon himself, the youngest Mukami raced towards the stairs knowing that both Kino and friend were right behind him. The flight itself wasn't long, but Kino was much faster than him. With great reluctance, Azusa moved towards the right and let the taller vampire pass him to slam open the door. As they moved towards the right, Azusa moved in the complete opposite direction to buy him some time and hopefully give him a clue on where he was. Whether this place is a mansion or not, it was huge! Eventually, he gave up on finding an exit and chose a random room to hide in, carefully dispelling his disillusioning charm.

His eyes widened at its extravagance. A king-sized bed situated in the middle of the room donned with thick, plush comforters and blankets. To each side were nightstands with large lamps that must have been able to light the entire room. To the right was a desk with a neat stack of papers on top. Further to the left was a balcony with the opening somewhat covered with thick, velvet curtains. When he reached for the exit, the handle repulsed his touch. He scowled, backing away. Glancing around, he found yet another white door made of wood. This time, the doorknob wasn't warded.

Upon opening the door, a bathroom awaited. A large mirror hung above the sink reflected his appearance, making his eyes widen in shock (for what seemed like the hundredth time). There was a collar made of metal clasped around his neck. Unfortunately, a multitude of runes had been engraved upon it that not even he could interpret. The symbols in the cell almost killed him; what purpose did these ones hold?

He fingered the collar curiously, tracing the different symbols carefully as to not pierce himself with the jagged metal. He could ponder what this meant later. So long as it didn't hinder his escape then it should have been alright. That is until he exited the bathroom and found, much to his surprise, Kino lounging on the bed, looking straight at him.

"Endgame," he murmured, crooking his finger. Against his will, Azusa was dragged forward and then thrown upon the bed where the taller vampire pinned both his hands and legs to the bed.

"This is where you should be," Kino sneered, staring directly into defiant gray eyes. "Beneath me. It doesn't matter who gives you attention so long as you know your place. Understand? I always win no matter what."

In response, Azusa spat in his face. The grip on his limbs grew painful as copper eyes grew mutinous.

"Fufufu, so that's how you want to play it? Fine. I'm feeling rather parched after all. Contain your magic and lie limp."

There was a brief pulse of magic before every muscle in his body relaxed. His magic lashed out to free itself, yet couldn't do anything due to some sort of filter being placed over his core.

"Good boy," Kino hummed, brushing aside a few strands of hair, therefore gaining access to the junction of his neck. Azusa cringed as two sharp incisors pierced his skin, feeling the blood drain from his body _oh-so-very-slowly_. "How does it feel to be drained by another vampire, Mukami?" He could feel the smirk pressed against his skin as a wet appendage collected the excess liquid. "Knowing that I am your superior in every way?" A finger hooked around the metal band. "This collar proves it."

With a dark grin, the Sakamaki sat up and pulled out a phone from the nightstand drawer beside him. "I have to savor this moment," he mused. A sharp snap indicated the picture being captured. If not for the foreign magic holding him down, Azusa would have startled when his shirt was abruptly ripped off. Still, with his phone in hand, Kino then straddled the younger male and placed his fangs near his previous bite mark before snapping another shot. Satisfied with himself, Azusa was then shoved off the bed and on to the ground since no pets could sleep with their master.

"Now that isn't the proper way to treat your youngers, boy."

The two youngers snapped to attention quickly. Standing not even a foot away from them was none other than the famous Karlheinz, King of the Vampires. Kneeling beside Azusa, the man placed a hand upon the boy's chest, therefore relinquishing the temporary hold of magic placed upon him. No small amount of relief surged through his mind when his now loose magic swirled around happily.

"I do remember saying to watch over him while I attended business elsewhere, correct?"

"He isn't dead, is he?" Kino scowled. A chill went down his spine at the sudden influx of darkness, similar, if not identical, to Karlheinz. Gray eyes narrowed in concentration, trying to discern one from the other. _How could it be possible that both have the same signature? They're certainly not twins, and even children have different signatures than their parents. Unless…_

"Is he a clone?" the Mukami mused quietly, glancing up at the father-son duo. Genetics would account for similar appearances, but the only way he could tell for certain is if their signatures were compared to the miniscule detail. The only one that could do that is the second son…and Azusa truly didn't want to get involved there.

Karlheinz seemed to hear him. "He is simply my…son. A disobedient one at that, but they all are before being reprimanded."

Both Kino and Azusa stiffened at the last word, fear coursing through their veins.

"But since you truly have come to no harm, I find it unnecessary to do much else. Nonetheless, I have brought you here for a reason."

The King rose, extending a hand for the Mukami to take.

He did.

"Neither you, nor he is normal," Karlheinz began, striding across the room. "I cannot have my son roaming the world and causing needless havoc while bearing my name. Furthermore, he has been irritating the wrong crowd, so here is my proposal: Since neither you nor Kino have accessed your full potential, you both will use each other to do as such. When I have the time, I will check on your progress. As such, the two of you stick with one another until I say otherwise."

"What?!" The younger Sakamaki snarled, his phone shattering in his now tightened grip. "Why the hell would I stay with a commoner such as him?"

Karlheinz glanced at him with cold amusement. "You will stay with whoever I deem fit until maturity is in your grasp. I will not stand for your acts of pitiful vengeance and inferiority any longer."

His crimson gaze turned to Azusa. "Surely this will not be a problem?"

"…Probably not," he responded, thinking of all the ways this arrangement could go wrong.

"To make this easier, I will ask Ruki to move your family to my manor."

If possible, Azusa grew paler. Kino, on the other hand, seemed to grow more mutinous by the second. He had to speak up before things could grow worse than they already were! Though not totally disregarding the fact that the Vampire King wasn't to be trifled with, the brave hybrid began to speak, "I believe it would be more beneficial if Kino were to live with your kin; they would be more accepting of the transition at hand, and as a result, may form a bond with him, therefore keeping a closer eye on him voluntarily."

"Oh? Regardless of what they do, they will obey me, Little Mukami."

"Yes," the seventeen-year-old nodded. Without a doubt, anyone would obey the King of Vampires demands in fear of punishment. "However, the more willing a subject, the more efficient the task performed."

The man stared at him with no small amount of amusement and intrigue. The choice was completely in his hands; to humor him, or not to humor him. Finally, after what seemed like hours of silence, he nodded. "That is acceptable. Let's make a deal then. I have no doubts that Reiji will report back to me with detailed results. That is already confirmed; however, I am conducting my own little experiment, if you will. I've titled it the Adam and Eve project, though the recipients of my experiment are stereotypically different. I have noticed that, upon meeting my sons, they have all stemmed some sort of reaction from your presence; whether it be feelings of attraction, annoyance, or interest, concerns me not. The fact of the matter is that with no prompting on my end, they have coincided with you without my prompting. This is unlike what any of them have done before, so I may have...tweaked my variables; something I have yet to have thought about. Though this cannot possibly bear fruit...I am curious to see where this comes into play."

 _Bear fruit...? As in, reap the rewards? Is the task truly that challenging, or is this the amount of faith you've placed me?_

"I expect much from you, little one, but for now—"

"One moment!" The new Sakamaki intervened, fangs bared, copper eyes darkening to a familiar crimson as he pointed to Azusa. "I'm not one of your damn puppets, Leech King. I'm going to need a form of compensation to even think of participating in your manipulations again. You hear?"

Karlheinz smirked, tugging five colored cards from his pocket and tossing them at Kino's feet. "Not that you don't have your own funds," he began, noticing the boy's nonplussed face, "but as a highly sought-after person in this competitive society, I may be entitled to certain...advancements that commoners won't be for another couple of years."

The sour expression turned pleased in a matter of minutes as all five cards were swiped and pocketed in a matter of seconds. "Fine."

"I'm glad to see we're on the same page. Now about this collar..."

The Vampire King crooked a finger in his direction in an identical manner to what his son had done earlier, and just as before, the Mukami was just as helpless as his body flew a short distance to where the elite stood. Intrigued, the man started tracing each carving slowly, translating them as if they were already in Japanese.

"A limiter, a tracker, and a servitude symbol? How interesting. I am glad that you have yet to figure out the activation. I do believe my sons were competing for your interests, so why not give them their gift back...along with another surprise?"

* * *

A week had passed since Azusa's kidnapping. More specifically, seven days, four hours and some odd minutes had passed since Karlheinz had abruptly intervened and taken the youngest Mukami for his own purpose. Neither the Mukami or the Sakamaki could do anything about it, and the King knew it. Now, the stars twinkled in the darkness as birds cuddled in their nests, and the owls began to stir.

The moon casts an eerie glow upon the manor situated in the middle of the landscape. Flowers of various species and colors blossomed around it with the heat of the morning residing in their roots. Within the manor, nine individuals lounged within the front hall. The atmosphere was tense. The remaining Mukami had refused to budge from the Sakamaki Manor after the disappearance of their youngest brother, so, rather reluctantly, Reiji had made the proper arrangements to accommodate them. The ones interested in education, extracurriculars, and/or lack of punishment continued attending Ryoutei Academy. Ruki made sure to collect Azusa's assignments for when he returned.

The Mukami did everything in their power to avoid the Sakamaki, while the latter didn't care.

Then the phone rang. As the acting head of household, Reiji answered it quickly. Kanato stopped mashing the cake on his plate and Ruki looked up from his book as the duration of the call exceeded five minutes. Laito rose an eyebrow, snapping his phone shut. After another eight minutes, Reiji placed the phone back on its stand.

"Your stay has been limited to the end of this week," Reiji informed Ruki and went on his way. The eldest Mukami's eyes widened, his book discarded, as he went to inform his brothers about Azusa's return.

The next day, no one went to school.

"Get the hell up already!" Yuuma snarled, just about ready to throw the damn NEET off the couch.

In response, the blonde did nothing.

Irritated, Reiji moved towards the back of the couch and promptly flipped it over. Shuu tumbled off and landed on the floor before the sofa reverted to its previous state. Ayato snickered from his seat by the window as Yuuma sneered, quickly taking the now freed seat with Kou in tow. Ruki shook his head, glancing at the clock as it struck five.

"Why the hell am I even here?" Subaru scowled next to the window, leaning against the wall.

"Because father has demanded your presence," Reiji replied, glancing at his watch. "It would be in your best interest not to deny such a simple request."

"I wasn't even playing the damn game," he continued in his usual foul mood.

A black vehicle pulled into the drive. A blank-faced man with slick black hair stepped out of the car and opened the door for Karlheinz and his two guests. When they were close, the heavy doors of the manor opened automatically as if sensing its master. Eyebrows reached their highest point as they landed upon the familiar boy playing on his phone. Nobody dared to speak as the tension grew to worrying levels. The Mukami were more surprised by the collar on their youngest's neck, while the Sakamaki eyed the newcomer like a lion to its prey.

"Before I leave you all to your devices," Karlheinz began, breaking the silence, "allow me to introduce my sons to their new sibling."

A gentle hand placed itself on said new sibling's shoulder. With a grunt, copper eyes looked up from his game which was then pocketed in favor of introducing himself properly.

"I am Sakamaki Kino, son of Karlheinz, and look forward to ignoring your very existences."

"This brat thinks he can talk disrespectfully to Yours Truly?! I'll show that damn lookalike!" Ayato exclaimed, resisting the urge to throttle the vampire to death.

"Ha! As if your filthiness could even lay a finger on me," Kino laughed, rolling his eyes. "Go back to dreamland already. That guy seems to have the right idea."

Shuu didn't even stir.

"I had thought we had rid of that complex, Ayato," Karlheinz commented, though it was more of an off-handed comment than anything. "It seems as though you need more work."

The redhead shut his mouth as crimson eyes scanned focused on him. At this point, Azusa chose to intervene, tugging at the metal collar uncomfortably.

"I don't suppose…that you could take this off me now?"

The feral grin grew. "Ah, I have not forgotten about you, little one. Apart from Kino, you all were having a competition of sorts, correct? What were the terms of the game?"

"Whoever claimed the mouse by mark and drank their blood is the winner," Reiji stated.

"Limitations?"

"If the Mukami set out before the allotted fifteen minutes, then we win. If Laito decided to be sexually active with the target, then the Mukami win."

"I see. From what I've seen upon retrieving him from here is that no one except me was able to mark him; therefore, you all lose."

Reiji's glasses glinted. "However, you interfered while the game was in progress. Furthermore, you were not an occupant of this competition, and have affected the game's results, regardless of how much time was left."

Karlheinz chuckled, nodding in acknowledgment of Reiji's claim. "That is true. As an apology, I offer a more permanent solution to said competition. The collar placed around this boy's neck enables the person who inserts their blood into the runes to locate and limit his magic, as well as have control of his actions. I'll let you figure out how, but for now… Since I am the one in the wrong, I will simply accommodate to the rules. The award must have been something along these lines, so the rules will be simplified: whoever was able to mark the boy is able to control him until return."

To a now petrified Azusa, he said, "Rest assured, I will be back by next week at the latest to have the family dinner. Now, upon arriving, I could distinctly smell two people on him: Shuu and Laito."

 _No matter how I look at it, none of the outcomes are to my advantage,_ Azusa thought as gray met emerald green. _To be with sloth or to be with lust: that is the real question._

"I do not know most of the events that have occurred here," Karlheinz continued, "And to be quite honest, I couldn't care less. Since a mark is a physical symbol, I would say that Kanato is the one that won this competition. He is the one that impaled him with a fork on the leg, and as a result, left a deep mark."

"…Really?" The purplenette questioned, surprised. Peering into the hybrid's gray eyes, a wide grin began to manifest on his pale face. When was the last time he had won against _any_ of them? Never. Always the last to play with the bride; always last to finish assignments; always the last to fetch a piece of dessert when Reiji baked! _AlwaysALWaysALWAYS! NOT ANYMORE!_ "I _win_."


End file.
